Vivien leigh children

Biography of Vivien Leigh

Vivien Leigh, an English actress and two-time Oscar winner, was born on November 5, 1913, in Darjeeling, India. Her father, who was English, served in India which was then part of the British Empire. Her mother, also of European descent, had French, Irish, and Armenian roots. Growing up in a literary environment, Leigh developed a love for literature and aspired to become a great actress.

In 1931, with the support of her parents, Leigh enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. It was there that she met lawyer Herbert Leigh Holman, who was thirteen years her senior. It is said that as soon as Leigh saw him, she declared that she would marry him, and they did so in 1932. Despite having a daughter named Suzanne in the following year, their marriage was not a happy one. Leigh wanted to pursue a career in film, but her husband disapproved. Against his wishes, Leigh hired agent John Gielgud, who helped her find roles. Gielgud advised her to change her name to a more memorable one, so she adopted the name Vivien Leigh, combining her own name with her husband's surname. Although Herbert was furious, he could not prevent Leigh from pursuing her film career.

Leigh made her film debut in a small role in the movie "Things Are Looking Up" (1935), but it had little impact on her career. Her breakthrough came with her performance in the play "The Mask of Virtue," which caught the attention of critics. It was during this role that Leigh first caught the eye of actor Laurence Olivier. After getting to know each other better, a friendship developed between them, which soon turned into love. Although Olivier was married, their respective marriages did not stop their passionate affair. They openly displayed their relationship, even in puritanical England. They lived this way for five years until Holman granted Leigh a divorce and Olivier ended his marriage. In 1940, Leigh and Olivier married in a low-key ceremony attended only by friends Garson Kanin and Katharine Hepburn.

Before this significant event in Leigh's life, many other interesting events occurred. In 1937, Olivier traveled to Hollywood to film "Wuthering Heights." Several months later, Leigh moved to America under the pretext of wanting to be close to her husband. However, her true motivation was to negotiate a role in the film adaptation of "Gone with the Wind." She wanted to portray Scarlett O'Hara, a role that had 1,400 actresses auditioning for it. After numerous screen tests, Leigh managed to prove that she could play the role better than anyone else. Director George Cukor praised her incredible intensity. It was his endorsement that sealed the deal, and Leigh did not disappoint. "Gone with the Wind" (1939) became the film hit of the year, winning ten Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Leigh.

After the tremendous success of "Gone with the Wind," Leigh was labeled a Hollywood movie star, although she disliked being referred to as such. She considered herself an actress, believing that being a movie star meant living a fake life. Leigh truly stood out from other actresses with her modesty and hard work. She loved her craft and devoted all her energy to it. However, after "Gone with the Wind," Leigh only appeared in eight more films. Poor health, including a long battle with tuberculosis, greatly limited her career. Additionally, Leigh suffered from mental health issues, making it challenging for directors to work with her.

In the early 1950s, Leigh achieved another breakthrough with her performance in the play "A Streetcar Named Desire," where she played the role of Blanche DuBois, a prostitute. She was offered the opportunity to reprise her role in the film adaptation of "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951), which became a landmark film of the 20th century. Leigh won her second Oscar for Best Actress and received incredible acclaim from critics, who hailed her performance as one of the most profound character transformations of all time.

The manic-depressive episodes that Leigh experienced, a condition she battled for years, were first witnessed by Olivier in the 1930s when they were not yet married. Before going on stage to play Ophelia, Leigh suddenly began screaming hysterically and then fell silent, staring into space. These episodes became systematic, and Olivier grew accustomed to them. Leigh's mental state deteriorated sharply after the filming of "A Streetcar Named Desire." The exacerbation of tuberculosis and a failed pregnancy, which resulted in a miscarriage, further contributed to her mental instability. She could not escape the character of Blanche DuBois and often claimed that the character haunted her. She showed signs of split personality disorder, as demonstrated by an incident when she was referred to as Scarlett O'Hara by a nurse in the psychiatric clinic. Leigh screamed that she was Blanche DuBois. At some point, Olivier could no longer cope and left Leigh. This was a devastating blow for the actress.

In her final years, Leigh lived alone in a small village by a lake in Sussex, England. In May 1967, she experienced a new bout of tuberculosis, and on July 7, she passed away.

Vivien Leigh lived a short but vibrant and eventful life. She pursued her dreams relentlessly and achieved her goals. Whether her life was happy is difficult to determine. Despite the tragedy in her life, Leigh remained a woman who believed in the beauty and goodness of the world, wanting to love and be loved. She will forever be remembered as one of the most beautiful and talented actresses in history.