Vivien Leigh
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Who Was Vivien Leigh?
Vivien Leigh was convent-educated in England and throughout Europe and was inspired by her schoolmate Maureen O'Sullivan to embark on an acting career. Leigh earned international popularity and an Academy Award for her unforgettable portrayal of Scarlett O'Hara in David O. Selznick's production of Gone with the Wind.
Early Life
Leigh was born Vivian Mary Hartley on November 5, , in Darjeeling, India, to an English stockbroker and his Irish wife. The family returned to England when Hartley was six years old. A year later, the precocious Hartley announced to classmate Maureen O'Sullivan that she "was going to be famous." She was right, though her fame would eventually come under a different name.
As a teen, Vivian Hartley attended schools in England, France, Italy and Germany, becoming fluent in both French and Italian. She went on to study acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, but put her career temporarily on hold at age 19, when she married a lawyer named Leigh Holman and had his daughter. Replacing the "a" in her first name with the less commonly used "e," Hartley used her husband's name to
Bipolar disorder was called manic-depression during Leigh’s adult life, and it’s a long-term illness which has to be managed throughout a person’s life. Symptoms are severe and different from what might be written off as mood swings. The brain disorder often develops in the late teenage or early adult years and is not easy to spot because the symptoms often appear to be separate issues.
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Leigh was under psychological strain trying to match Olivier’s reputation on the stage. They were paired in a production of Twelfth Night, directed by John Gielgud, and reviews paid more attention to Olivier than Leigh. While playing Lady Macbeth opposite her husband in the Stratford Festival&#;s production of Shakespeare’s Scottish play, she mirrored her character&#;s descent into madness. Director Anthony Quayle said Leigh &#;was feeding her own mania into the tragedy…. She was mesmerizing,&#; according to the book Vivien: The Life of Vivien Leigh by Alexander Walker. In , one year before her miscarriage, Leigh suffered her first severe case of tuberculosis and took a year off. Olivier was knighted in
The Tragic Death Of Vivien Leigh
During the GWTW shoot, her secretary, Sunny Lash, watched her behavior become uneven and noted in a letter to Olivier, "Several times I thought she really was going mad," according to The Hollywood Reporter. "She had warned me once that someday she would and I was beginning to believe that time had come."
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The movie broke box office records, according to Guinness World Records, and won eight Academy Awards, according to IMDb. When rehearsing "Caesar and Cleopatra," in , for instance, Leigh fell and had a miscarriage, according to Viv and Larry. Leigh finished the film but never attended the premiere — she would not view the movie for years. According to Mental Floss, Leigh became depressed and an insomniac after the trauma.
Due to the terrible loss and her disorder, along with a respiratory issue that turned out to be tuberculosis, Leigh turned to electroshock therapy for help, according to Marie Claire magazine. Playing Blanche DuBois in "A Streetcar Named Desire," did not help her illness. "Blanche is a woman with everything stripped away," Mental Floss quotes her as saying. "She is a tragic figure and I understand her. But p
Vivien Leigh | Biography
Vivien Leigh was a renowned actress best known for her role as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind. She faced personal challenges but continued to shine on stage and film.
Who is Vivien Leigh?
Vivien Leigh was an iconic British actress, widely celebrated for her powerful performances on both stage and screen. Born Vivian Mary Hartley on November 5, , in Darjeeling, India, she changed her name after marrying lawyer Leigh Holman. Leigh achieved international fame for her role as Scarlett O'Hara in the monumental film "Gone with the Wind," directed by David O. Selznick. This groundbreaking performance not only won her an Academy Award but also solidified her place in cinematic history, as the film remains one of the most acclaimed in Hollywood.
Throughout her career, Leigh showcased her immense talent by embracing complex roles that resonated with audiences. Her portrayal of Blanche Du Bois in Tennessee Williams's "A Streetcar Named Desire" earned her a second Academy Award and is often regarded as one of her finest performances. Despite her professional success, Leigh faced sign
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