Mini Biography
Vivien Leigh, née Vivian Mary Hartley, was born on November 5th, 1913 to a British father and an Irish mother in India. In 1920 Vivien was sent to the Convent of the Sacred Heart for eight years of education. She also studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art later on. Vivien was proficient in the cello and piano, and took an interest in studying ballet. She also loved languages and Egyptian history. In January 1932 Vivien met Leigh Holman and they married in December of that year. A year later she gave birth to their daughter Suzanne.
The first film Vivien had a small part in was "Things Are Looking Up" (1934), but her one line was cut. During the same year she saw Laurence Olivier in a play and was so starstruck that she was convinced one day they would marry. A year later she got the leading role in her first big play "The Mask of Virtue". This play garnered much fame for the young starlet. After being introduced to Shakespearean plays, she starred in "Hamlet" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream" opposite Olivier. In 1936 Vivien and Olivier starred in a movie together called "Fire Over England". Around this time Vivien read Margaret Mitchell's timeless novel "Gone With the Wind". She became determinted to land the role of Scarlett in the much talked about film.
In 1937, after acting in "Hamlet" with Olivier, she left her husband and moved to Chelsea with the new love of her life. Vivien's daughter went to live with her grandmother. That same year Vivien did a screen test for "Gone With the Wind" and snagged the role. She was also offered the lead in the film "Waterloo Bridge". Leigh Holman filed for divorce in 1940, the same year that Vivien won Best Actress at the Academy Awards for her phenomenal portrayal of heroine Scarlett O'Hara. "That Hamilton Woman" was the last film that Vivien and Olivier made together.
During the war Vivien filmed "Caesar & Cleopatra" (1944). While shooting Vivien suffered a miscarriage after a fall. Around this time she began experiencing mood-swings and severe health problems, a result of manic-depression and tuburculosis, which damaged her marriage to Olivier. She was asked to rest to take care of her illness but Vivien preferred to continue working. In 1945 she starred in "The Skin of Our Teeth" which was highly acclaimed as one of her best films. Finally, to help her health, she agreed to rest for six months.
The year 1947 saw Vivien playing Anna Karenina in the film. While shooting she suffered bouts of depression. Most likely while in one of these depressions she told Olivier she no longer loved him. Her condition was not really understood and so he believed she spoke the truth. Vivien then played the character Blanche in the play "A Streetcar Named Desire", a role that was very close to her because Blanche was a woman descending into madness. The play was turned into a film in 1950 and Vivien won her second Best Actress award. She and Olivier then turned to the stage to act in "Antony & Cleopatra" and "Caesar & Cleopatra". Around this time Vivien sought psychiatric help for her condition, but had a nervous breakdown. Her manic depression was so bad that in 1953 she could no longer continue shooting "Elephant Walk". She was replaced with Elizabeth Taylor. Vivien received shock treatments and after recovery she became almost a different person.
Despite her problems, Vivien was determined to return to acting because she loved it so much. At forty-three years old she became pregnant but had a miscarriage and continued to suffer mood-swings. Her daughter married in 1957 and a year later Vivien and Olivier separated. She was then diagnosed with cyclic manic-depression and after more uncontrollable bouts and hallucinations Vivien was placed in a nursing home to be closely monitored. Olivier visited her frequently.
When she was well again, Vivien made "Ship of Fools" (1964), the last movie she was to star in. On July 7th, 1967, this marvelously dazzling actress was found dead in her room as the result of her tuberculosis. She was fifty-three years old. Vivien Leigh's life is a tragically beautiful story, hence the name of this fanlisting. She fullfilled her immense love for acting despite manic-depression and tuberculosis to hamper her, and received world-wide recognition for her talent.