Vivien Leigh, Acting - KorPlix:Korean Person Archives

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Vivien Leigh
Acting

Vivien Leigh
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1913-11-05,Darjeeling, Bengal Presidency, British India [now West Bengal, India]
Gender
Female
Biography
Vivien Leigh (born November 5, 1913, Darjeeling, India—died July 8, 1967, London, England) was an English actress renowned for her roles in Hollywood and British theater. She won two Academy Awards for Best Actress, portraying Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939) and Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), both performances that solidified her place among the greatest actresses of classic cinema. Leigh was the only child of Ernest Hartley, a British broker, and Gertrude Yackjee, who had Anglo-Indian and Armenian ancestry. She spent her childhood between England and Europe, attending convent schools before enrolling at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London in 1932, setting the stage for her acting career. Her film debut came in Things Are Looking Up (1934), followed by roles in British films such as Fire Over England (1937), where she starred alongside Laurence Olivier. Their professional collaboration soon became a high-profile romance, capturing public fascination. Leigh’s breakthrough role was Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939), a part for which she beat hundreds of actresses in a legendary casting search. The film became one of the most celebrated in cinematic history, and her performance earned international acclaim, securing her first Academy Award. Leigh continued to star in films such as Waterloo Bridge (1940) and That Hamilton Woman (1941), frequently working with Olivier, whom she married in 1940. Their union lasted 20 years, during which they became one of the most revered couples in theater and film, starring together in Shakespearean productions and three films. In 1951, she won her second Academy Award for A Streetcar Named Desire, where her portrayal of Blanche DuBois was deeply personal, reflecting her own struggles with mental health. Leigh suffered from bipolar disorder, which profoundly affected her career and personal relationships. She also battled chronic tuberculosis, first diagnosed in the mid-1940s, which ultimately led to her death on July 8, 1967, at the age of 53. After divorcing Olivier in 1960, she found companionship with actor John Merivale, who remained by her side until her passing. Despite periods of career instability, Leigh remains one of the most celebrated actresses of her time. In 1999, the American Film Institute (AFI) ranked her as the 16th greatest female movie star of classic Hollywood cinema. She also won a Tony Award for Tovarich (1963), proving her talent extended beyond film. Her beauty, talent, and dedication made her an enduring icon, and her performances continue to be studied and celebrated worldwide.

Filmography

A Streetcar Named Desire

7.61

A Streetcar Named Desire
1951-09-18

Gone with the Wind

7.908

Gone with the Wind
1939-12-15

Sir John Mills' Moving Memories

7

Sir John Mills' Moving Memories
2000-08-01

6.604

Ship of Fools
1965-07-29

Fire Over England

6.2

Fire Over England
1937-03-05

Caesar and Cleopatra

6.2

Caesar and Cleopatra
1945-12-11

6

Anna Karenina
1948-01-22

The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone

6.882

The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone
1961-12-28

That Hamilton Woman

7.1

That Hamilton Woman
1941-04-03

Waterloo Bridge

7.525

Waterloo Bridge
1940-05-17

6.1

21 Days
1940-01-07

6.4

Dark Journey
1937-07-02

Storm in a Teacup

7.4

Storm in a Teacup
1937-02-25

Hollywood: The Dream Factory

7.25

Hollywood: The Dream Factory
1972-01-10

St. Martin's Lane

7.3

St. Martin's Lane
1938-10-18

A Yank at Oxford

6.7

A Yank at Oxford
1938-02-18

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood

5.909

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
2018-07-27

The Village Squire

8

The Village Squire
1935-04-16

Things Are Looking Up

6.5

Things Are Looking Up
1935-06-09

Look Up and Laugh

5.3

Look Up and Laugh
1935-08-07

The Deep Blue Sea

4.857

The Deep Blue Sea
1955-11-01

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

7

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983-02-25

Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love

8

Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love
2001-09-13

The Screen Director

7

The Screen Director
1951-03-13

That's Entertainment! III

7.05

That's Entertainment! III
1994-07-01

Melanie Remembers: Reflections by Olivia de Havilland

7.2

Melanie Remembers: Reflections by Olivia de Havilland
2004-11-09

Gentlemen's Agreement

7.5

Gentlemen's Agreement
1935-10-14

Cavalcade of the Academy Awards

6.3

Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
1940-07-31

Hollywood: Style Center of the World

5.8

Hollywood: Style Center of the World
1940-05-31

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

6.333

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975-08-06

That's Entertainment, Part II

6.988

That's Entertainment, Part II
1976-05-16

Glorious Technicolor

6.9

Glorious Technicolor
1998-12-07

The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind

8.2

The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
1988-10-01

Jornal Português (1938-1951)

0

Jornal Português (1938-1951)
2015-12-14

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

7.5

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
2009-07-02

The Skin of Our Teeth

0

The Skin of Our Teeth
1959-01-01

Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond

8.5

Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond
1990-10-22

Vivien Leigh, autant en emporte le vent

7.4

Vivien Leigh, autant en emporte le vent
2021-01-03

The Extraordinary Seaman

3.571

The Extraordinary Seaman
1969-05-14

Laurence Olivier: A Life

10

Laurence Olivier: A Life
1982-10-24

Small World: Vivien Leigh

0

Small World: Vivien Leigh
1958-12-28

0

Private Lives
1940-10-13

0

Rebecca
1950-11-06

0

Ivanov
1966-05-03

Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies

0

Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
1988-09-19

Korda: I Don't Grow on Trees: Part One

0

Korda: I Don't Grow on Trees: Part One
1993-10-05

That's Dancing!

6.9

That's Dancing!
1985-01-18

10

Marilyn Monroe
1986-01-01

The Prince, The Showgirl and Me

0

The Prince, The Showgirl and Me
2004-07-09

Antony and Cleopatra

0

Antony and Cleopatra
1962-02-19

0

Tovarich
1963-03-18

The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful

10

The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful
1996-03-17

Stardust: The Bette Davis Story

6.633

Stardust: The Bette Davis Story
2006-05-03

Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel

0

Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel
2001-08-03

Hollywood: The Selznick Years

4.4

Hollywood: The Selznick Years
1961-12-31

Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell

2

Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell
1995-01-16

All-Time Movie Greats

0

All-Time Movie Greats
1988-01-01

Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn

9

Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn
2015-08-18

Churchill and the Movie Mogul

7.3

Churchill and the Movie Mogul
2019-01-24

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies

8

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
1995-06-05

Vivien Leigh: A Delicate Balance

9

Vivien Leigh: A Delicate Balance
2000-06-07

Before She Was Scarlet O'Hara: An Interview with Anne Edwards

0

Before She Was Scarlet O'Hara: An Interview with Anne Edwards
2013-11-19

Restoring a Legend: Gone with the Wind

8.8

Restoring a Legend: Gone with the Wind
2004-11-09

Elia Kazan: A Director's Journey

6.111

Elia Kazan: A Director's Journey
1995-08-14

A Streetcar on Broadway

6.5

A Streetcar on Broadway
2006-01-01

A Streetcar in Hollywood

6.5

A Streetcar in Hollywood
2006-05-02

Desire and Censorship

3

Desire and Censorship
2006-05-02

Charmed Lives: A Family Romance

0

Charmed Lives: A Family Romance
2028-05-11

5

Black Star
2022-09-19

An Actor Named Brando

0

An Actor Named Brando
2006-05-02

North and the Music of the South

0

North and the Music of the South
2006-05-02

The Vivien Leigh Archive at the V&A

9

The Vivien Leigh Archive at the V&A
2016-02-01

Gone with the Wind – Makeup and Wardrobe Tests

0

Gone with the Wind – Makeup and Wardrobe Tests
2020-05-21

The Greats: Vivien Leigh

7

The Greats: Vivien Leigh
2016-01-01

British Pathé Newsreels: Gone with the Wind

0

British Pathé Newsreels: Gone with the Wind
1939-12-13

The Ed Sullivan Show

6.8

The Ed Sullivan Show
1948-06-20

Iconic Couples of Hollywood

8

Iconic Couples of Hollywood
2015-05-04

7.3

Small World
1958-10-12