Vivien Leigh

Biography

Vivien Leigh was a British actress whose career lasted 30 years. Born in Darjeeling in 1913, she trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and acted on stage before taking small roles in four films in 1935, then progressed to the heroine in Fire Over England (1937). She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939) and for Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), having already played the role on the London stage, and she also won the Volpi Cup for that performance. Primarily a stage performer, she appeared in Shakespearean roles including Ophelia, Cleopatra, Juliet and Lady Macbeth, and in comedies by Noel Coward and George Bernard Shaw. Later she worked as a character actress in films and won a Tony Award for the Broadway musical Tovarich (1963). In 1999 the American Film Institute placed her 16th among the greatest female movie stars of classic Hollywood.

53years old at death

Born November 5, 1913Darjeeling
Died July 8, 1967Eaton Square
Star sign: ScorpioThe sign runs October 23 to November 21
Vivian Mary Hartley (birth name)Also credited as Leigh, Lady Olivier and Vivien Leigh, Lady Olivier

Movie Career

Films: 15
Career span: 63 years1937 to 2000

Genres

Drama67%, 10 films
Romance67%, 10 films
War33%, 5 films
Comedy27%, 4 films
Adventure20%, 3 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

Big break
Leigh, though fairly inexperienced, was picked to play Ophelia opposite Olivier's Hamlet in an Old Vic Theatre production that was staged at Elsinore, Denmark.
A role that slipped away
Goldwyn and director William Wyler offered Leigh the secondary part of Isabella in Wuthering Heights, but she turned it down. She wanted the role of Cathy instead, and Merle Oberon was given that part.
Big break
Leigh wanted to play Blanche DuBois in the West End staging of A Streetcar Named Desire. Tennessee Williams and producer Irene Mayer Selznick gave her the part after watching her in The School for Scandal and Antigone.

Vivien Leigh movies on Netflix

Sir John Mills' Moving Memories2000IMDb rating 7.7as Himself
The Extraordinary Seaman1969IMDb rating 3.5as Himself
Ship of Fools1965IMDb rating 7.0as Mary Treadwell
The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone1961IMDb rating 6.4as Karen Stone
A Streetcar Named Desire1951IMDb rating 7.9as Blanche DuBois
Anna Karenina1948IMDb rating 6.6as Anna Karenina
Caesar and Cleopatra1945IMDb rating 6.2as Cleopatra
That Hamilton Woman1941IMDb rating 7.2as Emma, Lady Hamilton
21 Days Together1940IMDb rating 6.1as Wanda
Waterloo Bridge1940IMDb rating 7.7as Myra
Gone with the Wind1939IMDb rating 8.2as Scarlett - Their Daughter
St. Martin's Lane1938IMDb rating 6.9as Liberty
Dark Journey1937IMDb rating 6.2as Madeleine Goddard
Fire Over England1937IMDb rating 6.4as Cynthia
Storm in a Teacup1937IMDb rating 6.5as Victoria Gow

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Gone with the Wind1939 Drama, History, Romance, Waras Scarlett - Their Daughter
IMDb rating 8.2359K votes
A Streetcar Named Desire1951 Dramaas Blanche DuBois
IMDb rating 7.9120K votes
Waterloo Bridge1940as Myra
IMDb rating 7.712K votes
Ship of Fools1965as Mary Treadwell
IMDb rating 7.07.8K votes
That Hamilton Woman1941as Emma, Lady Hamilton
IMDb rating 7.25.6K votes
The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone1961as Karen Stone
IMDb rating 6.43.3K votes
Anna Karenina1948as Anna Karenina
IMDb rating 6.63.2K votes
Caesar and Cleopatra1945as Cleopatra
IMDb rating 6.23.5K votes

Most often with

Victor Saville directed two of these films. Laurence Olivier appears in four of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Laurence Olivier

Cecil Parker

Rex Harrison

Robert Newton

David Niven

Karl MaldenVictor SavilleDirector, 2 films

Films together

Laurence Olivier4 films together, 1937 to 2000
Laurence Olivier's page
- Sir John Mills' Moving Memories2000IMDb rating 7.7Leigh as HimselfOlivier as Himself
- That Hamilton Woman1941IMDb rating 7.2Leigh as Emma, Lady HamiltonOlivier as Lord Horatio Nelson
- 21 Days Together1940IMDb rating 6.1Leigh as WandaOlivier as Larry
- Fire Over England1937IMDb rating 6.4Leigh as CynthiaOlivier as Michael Ingolby
Cecil Parker3 films together, 1937 to 1945
Cecil Parker's page
- Caesar and Cleopatra1945IMDb rating 6.2Leigh as CleopatraParker as Britannus
- Dark Journey1937IMDb rating 6.2Leigh as Madeleine GoddardParker as Capt. of Q-Boat
- Storm in a Teacup1937IMDb rating 6.5Leigh as Victoria GowParker as Provost William Gow
Rex Harrison3 films together, 1937 to 2000
Rex Harrison's page
- Sir John Mills' Moving Memories2000IMDb rating 7.7Leigh as HimselfHarrison as Himself
- St. Martin's Lane1938IMDb rating 6.9Leigh as LibertyHarrison as Harley Prentiss
- Storm in a Teacup1937IMDb rating 6.5Leigh as Victoria GowHarrison as Frank Burdon
Robert Newton3 films together, 1937 to 1940
Robert Newton's page
- 21 Days Together1940IMDb rating 6.1Leigh as WandaNewton as Tolley
- Dark Journey1937IMDb rating 6.2Leigh as Madeleine GoddardNewton as Officer of U-Boat
- Fire Over England1937IMDb rating 6.4Leigh as CynthiaNewton as Don Pedro
David Niven2 films together, 1969 to 2000
David Niven's page
- Sir John Mills' Moving Memories2000IMDb rating 7.7Leigh as HimselfNiven as Himself
- The Extraordinary Seaman1969IMDb rating 3.5Leigh as HimselfNiven as Cmdr. John Finchhaven, RN
Karl Malden2 films together, 1951 to 2000
Karl Malden's page
- Sir John Mills' Moving Memories2000IMDb rating 7.7Leigh as HimselfMalden as Himself
- A Streetcar Named Desire1951IMDb rating 7.9Leigh as Blanche DuBoisMalden as Mitch
Victor SavilleDirector, 2 films, 1937
All films by Victor Saville
- Dark Journey1937IMDb rating 6.2Leigh as Madeleine Goddard
- Storm in a Teacup1937IMDb rating 6.5Leigh as Victoria Gow
Also two films together18 more actors
- Olivia de HavillandThe Extraordinary Seaman (1969) and Gone with the Wind (1939)
- Sara AllgoodThat Hamilton Woman (1941) and Storm in a Teacup (1937)
- Flora RobsonCaesar and Cleopatra (1945) and Fire Over England (1937)
- Ernest ThesigerThe Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961) and Caesar and Cleopatra (1945)
- Charles CarsonDark Journey (1937) and Fire Over England (1937)
- Leslie Banks21 Days Together (1940) and Fire Over England (1937)
- Austin TrevorAnna Karenina (1948) and Dark Journey (1937)
- Henry OscarDark Journey (1937) and Fire Over England (1937)
- Howard Douglas21 Days Together (1940) and Fire Over England (1937)
- Cyril SmithSt. Martin's Lane (1938) and Storm in a Teacup (1937)
- Eliot MakehamDark Journey (1937) and Storm in a Teacup (1937)
- Helen HayeAnna Karenina (1948) and St. Martin's Lane (1938)
- Gus McNaughtonSt. Martin's Lane (1938) and Storm in a Teacup (1937)
- Ursula JeansDark Journey (1937) and Storm in a Teacup (1937)
- Esme PercyCaesar and Cleopatra (1945) and 21 Days Together (1940)
- Francis L. SullivanCaesar and Cleopatra (1945) and 21 Days Together (1940)
- Lawrence Hanray21 Days Together (1940) and Dark Journey (1937)
- William Dewhurst21 Days Together (1940) and Dark Journey (1937)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.

Awards

Five awards and honors from 1940 to 1963, four of them major.

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Vivien Leigh's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
Academy Awards
1952	Best Actress	A Streetcar Named Desire	Won
1940	Best Actress	Gone with the Wind	Won
Venice Film Festival
	Volpi Cup for Best Actress		Won
Tony Awards
1963	Best Actress in a Musical		Won
Other honors
	Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame		Honored

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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