Vivien Leigh
Known for Acting · 76 credits
- Born
- 1913-11-05
- Died
- 1967-07-07
- Place of birth
- Darjeeling, Bengal Presidency, British India [now West Bengal, India]
- Also known as
- Вів'єн Мері Гартлі · Vivian Mary Hartley · Vivian Leigh · ویوین لی · Вивиан Мэри Хартли · леди Оливье
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.
Known For
TV Shows (3)
Movies (73)
Gone with the Wind
1939
as Scarlett O'Hara
A Streetcar Named Desire
1951
as Blanche DuBois
Glorious Technicolor
1998
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Waterloo Bridge
1940
as Myra
21 Days
1940
as Wanda
That Hamilton Woman
1941
as Emma, Lady Hamilton
Caesar and Cleopatra
1945
as Cleopatra
Ship of Fools
1965
as Mary Treadwell
That's Entertainment! III
1994
as (archive footage)
Laurence Olivier: a life
1982
as Self ( Archive footage )
That's Entertainment, Part II
1976
as (archive footage)
That's Dancing!
1985
as Self (archive footage)
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
1983
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
2018
as Self (archive footage)
Anna Karenina
1948
as Anna Karenina
The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone
1961
as Karen Stone
Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel
2001
as Self (archive footage)
Ivanov
1966
as Anna Petrovna
Storm in a Teacup
1937
as Victoria Gow
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
1975
as Self (archive footage)
The Extraordinary Seaman
1969
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Rebecca
1950
as Mrs. de winter
A Yank at Oxford
1938
as Elsa Craddock
Gable: The King Remembered
1975
as Self (archive footage)
The Skin of Our Teeth
1959
as Sabina
Charmed Lives: A Family Romance
2028
as Self (archive footage)
Fire Over England
1937
as Cynthia
Dark Journey
1937
as Madeleine Goddard
St. Martin's Lane
1938
as Liberty
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
1988
as Self (archive footage)
The Deep Blue Sea
1955
as Hester Collyer
Stardust: The Bette Davis Story
2006
as Self (archive footage)
All-Time Movie Greats
1988
as Self (archive footage)
The Prince, The Showgirl and Me
2004
as Self (archive footage)
Antony and Cleopatra
1962
as Cleopatra
Desire and Censorship
2006
as Self (archive footage)
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
2009
as Self (archive footage)
The Screen Director
1951
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
A Streetcar on Broadway
2006
as Self (archive footage)
Churchill and the Movie Mogul
2019
as Self (archive footage)
The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies
1995
as Self (archive footage)
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards
1940
as Self
Private Lives
1940
as Amanda Prynne
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
1940
as Self
Things Are Looking Up
1935
as Unnamed Schoolgirl
Sir John Mills' Moving Memories
2000
as Self (archive footage)
Hollywood: The Selznick Years
1961
as Self - Scarlett O'Hara (archive footage) (uncredited)
Larry & Vivien: The Oliviers in Love
2001
as Self (archive footage)
Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond
1990
as Self (archive footage)
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
1988
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
A Streetcar in Hollywood
2006
as Self (archive footage)
An Actor Named Brando
2006
as Self (archive footage)
Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn
2015
as Self (archive footage)
Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell
1995
as Self (archive footage)
Korda: I Don't Grow on Trees: Part One
1993
as Self
Elia Kazan: A Director's Journey
1995
as Self (archive footage)
The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful
1996
as Self (archive footage)
Hollywood: The Dream Factory
1972
as Self (archive footage)
Jornal Português (1938-1951)
2015
as Self (archive footage)
The Village Squire
1935
as Rose Venables
Gentlemen's Agreement
1935
as Phil Stanley
Marilyn Monroe
1986
as archive footage
North and the Music of the South
2006
as Self (archive footage)
Melanie Remembers: Reflections by Olivia de Havilland
2004
as Herself (archive footage)
Tovarich
1963
as Tatiana
Small World: Vivien Leigh
1958
as Self- film actress
Look Up and Laugh
1935
as Marjorie Belfer
Vivien Leigh, autant en emporte le vent
2021
as Self (archive footage)
Restoring a Legend: Gone with the Wind
2004
as Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind" / Self (archive footage)
Vivien Leigh: A Delicate Balance
2000
as Self (archive footage)
Flashing Images of Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando
2023
as Blanche Du Bois/Self
Before She Was Scarlet O'Hara: An Interview with Anne Edwards
2013
as Self (archive footage)
Black Star
2022
as Self (archive footage)
About Vivien Leigh
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. Sh… With 76 credits spanning from 1935 to 2028, Vivien Leigh has appeared in 73 films and 3 TV shows.
Fans searching for Vivien Leigh movies, Vivien Leigh filmography, or the latest projects starring Vivien Leigh can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Vivien Leigh Movies
- Gone with the Wind (1939) — as Scarlett O'Hara
- A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) — as Blanche DuBois
- Glorious Technicolor (1998) — as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Waterloo Bridge (1940) — as Myra
- 21 Days (1940) — as Wanda
Where to Watch Vivien Leigh Films
Most Vivien Leigh movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Vivien Leigh, check our movies catalogue and browse page.