Vivien Leigh and her daughter Suzanne. Vivien Leigh - Gone with the Wind. Vivien Leigh's husband Olivier Lawrence

More than a thousand actresses auditioned for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in the 1939 Oscar-winning film Gone with the Wind. Black-and-white films remained from the tests, in which many beauties - dark-haired and blonde, resolute and cutesy - confess their love to Ashley, ask them to tighten their corset, argue with Mammy. But the role went to one and only, and now the world presents this heroine exclusively with the face of Vivien Leigh - dark hair, porcelain skin, piercing eyes and unforgettable beauty that distinguished the great actresses of the last century.

Fate before the stage

Vivian Mary Hartley was born November 5, 1913 in India, the son of a British businessman. Shortly before her seventh birthday, Vivienne was sent to school at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in England, and also studied in Italy, Paris and Germany. In 1932 she entered the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, but studied there for less than a year. At 19, she married lawyer Lee Holman, a man 12 years older than herself, and at his request she left her studies - but not the dream of becoming a great actress. A year later, Suzanne Holman was born, Vivien Leigh's only child.

Romance on set

Being a mother and a housewife for this active, impulsive woman turned out to be unbearably boring, and two years after the appearance of her daughter, she played the background role of a schoolgirl in the comedy “Things are getting better”. Only one replica, a symbolic fee, but it was after that that she hired an agent and chose a stage name. “I changed my name again today,” Vivien told her husband, and this step had even greater consequences for her life than the first marriage. Lee Holman said that he would no longer stand in the way of Vivienne to the stage, and this decision cost him family happiness. Subsequently, they remained friends - this is known from the words of Vivien Leigh, who, shortly before the divorce, and much after, wrote surprisingly warm, full of sympathy letters to her first husband.

In 1935, the actress played in four films and two performances: the conditions for her participation changed from frankly disadvantageous to interesting ones, and the roles - from episodic to main ones. In the words of agent John Gliddon, it was necessary to "work quickly and not ask too much."

Vivien had to study a lot and work on herself. She prepared for each of her roles, collecting information about the character and additionally doing dancing, playing the piano, and speech exercises. The actress took ballet lessons for the role of a dancer who was forced to become a prostitute and committed suicide, which she played in the film Waterloo Bridge.

To play Cleopatra, she had to learn how to use her voice differently: high tones for a young queen, lower ones for a more mature one. She came to the theater before everyone else, learned the text of the play by heart long before the start of rehearsals and repeated it every evening.

Vivien's life was dominated by the theater: she spent incomparably more time on the stage than in front of the camera. But she owed both to her acquaintance with Laurence Olivier, whose performance of the role of Hamlet she admired long before they met. A year later, a stage career brought them together in the historical drama Fire Over England. Playing passionate lovers, Lawrence and Vivien went beyond the script.

Lawrence was not one of those men who remain in history thanks to great wives. The son of a priest, he has been on stage since the age of 17; learned both poverty and critical disapproval before becoming "England's theatrical prince". In the future, he managed to be a director, learned to write music and pilot an airplane, received many awards for the brilliant performance of a wide range of complex roles, and in 1947 he was knighted - and Vivien became Lady Olivier.

Their love swept away everything: her husband, his wife, who recently gave birth to her first child. Both Lee Holman, Vivien's husband, and Jill Esmond, Lawrence's wife, did not agree to a divorce for a long time. Only in 1940 the marriages were annulled at the court. The actors' spouses received custody of the children, and six months after the process, Vivien and Lawrence were married in a modest ceremony in the United States.

Victories and defeats

Shortly before her divorce from her first husband, Vivien Leigh and Olivier first came to America, where at that time they were unsuccessfully looking for an actress for the role of Scarlett O'Hara. After reading the book "Gone with the Wind", Vivien decided that she would play Scarlett. She decided, as when she first saw Laurence Olivier, she declared that she would become his wife, as she told her friend at the monastery school that she was going to become a great actress - and she fulfilled her promise.

At that moment, everything was ready for the filming of Gone with the Wind: costumes, expensive scenery, wooden models of steam locomotives. All the actors and understudies were selected, except for the leading lady! And it became all the more striking that a purebred Englishwoman, who then had to train for hours in a southern American accent, was ideally suited for this role.

“So good that she doesn’t need talent, and so talented that she doesn’t need beauty,” American publications later wrote about Vivienne. The film was a masterpiece that received eight Oscars, including the Vivien Leigh award for Best Actress.

In 1943, Notley Abbey, a former abbey in England, was purchased by the Vivien Leigh-Lawrence Olivier couple. Together they played in many films and performances.

It would seem - a marriage that crowned passionate love, absolute creative success, what else could be needed for happiness? But achievements began to alternate with troubles. The spouses created the play "Romeo and Juliet", no one expected failure, and yet the reviews were devastating. Then for a couple of years they had to act in films only for the sake of good fees: Vivien Leigh spoke about her role in the film “Lady Hamilton” without much affection, explaining that she did it for the sake of money in a difficult time for them. But it was this tape that brought her and her husband acquaintance and friendship with Winston Churchill. Finally, in 1942, the pregnant Vivien Leigh lost her baby, in 1944, on the set of the film "Caesar and Cleopatra", the actress fell unsuccessfully and she again had a miscarriage. The following year, after a tour of Africa, the artist fell ill with tuberculosis.

Lawrence is also known to be jealous of Vivienne's success and her awards - up to throwing her Oscar out the window. Then she had to be jealous of her, cut off from work by debilitating illnesses - in 1944 Olivier accepted the post of director of the Old Vic Theater in London, in 1945 he was awarded an Oscar, and in 1947 he was awarded a knighthood. It was then that Vivien Leigh began to notice signs of manic-depressive psychosis, effective methods of treatment for which at that time were not known. Her mental health was undermined by the side effects of tuberculosis drugs: the actress fell into hysterics, attacked her husband, made scenes on the set. But, barely recovering, she set to work on a new role.

What else can you tell about Vivien Leigh? Her body required only five hours of sleep, she adored cats and loved to receive guests. She thought that comedy was much more difficult to play than tragedy, because it was easier to make people cry than to laugh. She knew several languages, smoked a lot, adopted the habit of swearing from her second husband, starred in 19 films.

Death at the lake house

In 1948, the couple went on a tour of Australia and New Zealand, which cost them a lot of strength and good relations. In 1951, a 36-day film called A Streetcar Named Desire was released, in which Vivien Leigh played with Marlon Brando. This film confirmed her star status and brought her a second Oscar.

Working on the film Elephant Trails in Ceylon in 1953 led to her admission to a mental hospital, where painful treatment procedures, which had a weak and short-lived effect, formed her fear of hospitals. In 1956, the 43-year-old actress suffered another miscarriage.

In his autobiography Confessions of an Actor, published in 1982, Lawrence described in detail how years of living next to his mentally unbalanced wife exhausted him. In 1960, he asked for a divorce - to marry a young actress Joan Plowright and received it. Notley Abbey's estate was sold and the actress settled into a modest brick lakeside cottage outside London. Seven years later, her ashes were scattered over this lake: Vivienne ignored the doctor's message that tuberculosis had captured both lungs and should immediately go to the hospital, and after receiving guests, she was found dead in her house. Until the last, Jack Merrivile was next to her - an actor and friend, about whose possible wedding the press wrote with Vivienne.

The difficult story of her life includes victories and defeats, passionate love and a painful break, world fame and several terrible diseases at once, one of which became fatal. You can make a film about her herself, but there is hardly an actress who can adequately perform the main role in it.

Actress Vivien Leigh, one of the greatest performers in the history of cinema, was born on November 5, 1913. Her full name is Vivian Mary Hartley, Lady Olivier. The actress owed her title to her husband, the famous English actor and director Laurence Olivier. Vivien Leigh, whose biography opened another page on the amateur theater stage, is the owner of two of the most prestigious film awards - the Oscar and the Golden Globe, which she received for her performance as Scarlett O'Hara in the film Gone with the Wind, filmed in 1939 , and Blanche Dubois in the 1951 film A Streetcar Named Desire. Being a talented theater actress, Vivien Leigh has played the role of Blanche Dubois on the stage of London's West End theater many times.

Film career

The talented actress collaborated for a long time with her husband Laurence Olivier, who directed several films where she played the main roles. Throughout her thirty-year career, Vivienne has performed dozens of roles, including comedy based on the works of Bernard Shaw and dramatic roles based on the plays of the great Shakespeare. Cleopatra, Ophelia, Lady Macbeth, Juliet Capulet - this is not a complete list of characters played with brilliance by the actress.

Health

Vivien Leigh, whose biography knew both ups and downs, was constantly in a slight tension - believing that her extraordinary beauty prevents people from seeing her as a dramatic actress. In addition, the actress was in poor health, her physical suffering caused mental distress. At first, she experienced recurring bouts of depression, then melancholy took a permanent form, and this began to be reflected in her work. Nevertheless, Vivien Leigh tried to overcome the difficulties of her life, and to some extent she succeeded.

Childhood

Vivian Mary Hartley was born in one of the provinces of India, in the small town of Darjeeling. Her father, Hartley Ernest, an Englishman, served in the Indian cavalry as an officer. Mother, Robinson Gertrude, of Irish descent, was engaged in charitable and social activities, and in her spare time staged amateur performances. It was on the stage of this impromptu theater that Vivian, at the age of three, first appeared before the public, reading the poem "Baby Bo Peep".

The mother tried to instill in her daughter an interest in literature, introduced her to the works of Kipling, Lewis Carroll, Christian Andersen. The girl was especially interested in the legends and myths of ancient Greece. She sincerely sympathized with the heroes of mythology, wished everyone well, and she was outraged by the injustice reigning on Olympus.

Monastery

At the age of seven, Vivien Leigh - her biography was then replenished with another page - was sent for some time to the English monastery "Holy Heart", so that the girl would join holiness as a way of life. There she became close to Maureen O "Sullivan, who was older and was able to teach her younger girlfriend a lot.

Academy enrollment

Two years later, Vivian moved to Europe, where she entered a comprehensive school. After graduating in 1931, the future actress returned to her parents, by that time they were already living in England. There, the girl entered the London Academy of Dramatic Art. Vivien Leigh, whose photo, biography and parameters of external data were carefully considered upon admission, embarked on a kind of accounting for beauty.

Marriage

At the end of 1931, Vivienne had a meeting with a certain Herbert Lee Holman, a thirty-year-old lawyer who, as it turned out later, did not like the theater. The young people got married a year after they met, on December 20, 1932, they were happy, and their daughter Suzanne was born. The young mother devoted a lot of time to work and was rarely at home. My father was also constantly on the road for his legal affairs. Suzanne was under the supervision of a nanny. Vivien Leigh always kept the photo of her daughter in a prominent place and looked at the girl for a long time, dreaming of returning home as soon as possible and hugging the child.

Soon she made her film debut. It was the film "Things are going well", where the girl played a small episodic role. Nevertheless, the aspiring actress hurried to take on the creative pseudonym "Vivien Leigh", with which she went all her life. At the same time, Vivian hired an agent for herself, whose duties included concluding contracts, which, however, had not yet been and were not even planned.

The first major role in the theater

In 1935, Vivien Leigh, whose biography was replenished with a new episode, played in the play "The Mask of Virtue" on the stage of the London Ambassadors Theater. The performance on a historical theme was staged by director Maxwell Wray, and Vivien played the main role - street girl Henriette Duquesnoy. The performance made a splash, newspapers were full of articles containing positive reviews from critics and enthusiastic responses from the sophisticated theater audience in London. Actress Vivien Leigh, whose photo appeared on the front pages of all publications, felt what real popularity is.

However, soon after Vivien Leigh signed a contract with the theater for further cooperation, she had psychological troubles. The premiere of the new performance failed due to the inability of the actress to keep a mutual connection with the audience. She lived and played on the stage too distantly. After some time, everything got better, but Vivien Leigh's popularity declined.

Laurence Olivier

For the first time, the famous actor saw Vivienne in the "Mask of Virtue", after the performance he congratulated her, and soon they became friends. Joint shooting in the film "Flames over England" brought the young people even closer. Since Vivien Leigh always kept her daughter's photo in the most prominent place, Olivier immediately realized that his chosen one had a child, but this did not bother him. Thus began a romance that soon ended in marriage.

Producer and Vivienne

At the end of 1937, the actress read the script for the film, based on the novel "Gone with the Wind" by American writer Margaret Mitchell. She insisted on talking to the film's producer, David Selznick. After this meeting, the producer watched "A Yankee at Oxford" and "Flame Over England", thought about it and decided that Vivien Leigh was a serious contender for the main role in "Gone with the Wind".

Actress Vivien Leigh, whose biography once again made a sharp turn, moved to Los Angeles to be closer to Olivier. David Selznick took the opportunity to do a screen test. In a conversation with his wife, he stated: "Paulette Goddard, Jean Arthur, Joan Bennett and Vivien Leigh are contenders for the role of Scarlett." Soon Vivian was approved as the only performer of the role of the main character.

The actress foresaw that the role of Rhett Butler would not be played by Laurence Olivier, although, logically, it was he who was most suitable for this role. However, as Olivier himself noted, he lacked that gloss in the appearance of the hero, which was simply necessary. And the famous actor Clark Gable became Butler, who had more than enough of this gloss.

"Gone With the Wind"

Work on the film based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell began in the fall of 1937, and immediately disagreements arose on the set. The explosive nature of Vivienne constantly provoked the actress into quarrels with Victor Fleming, the director of the picture. She never managed to prove her case, and this depressed Scarlett. Fleming tried to understand the eccentric actress, but their disagreements interfered with the work. In the end, some compromise was found, and the situation returned to normal.

To top it all off, Vivien missed Laurence Olivier, who was in New York at the time. The actress was nervous, did not find a place for herself. In letters to her husband Lee Holman, she complained: "I hate Hollywood, I hate acting in films ...". Nevertheless, Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh quickly found ways to contact, and this not only saved the picture, but also brought it into the category of masterpieces of world cinema. Thousands of girls all over the world dreamed of being like Scarlett, young men tried to imitate the image of Butler. Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh no longer cross paths on set, but their duet has already done their job.

"Gone with the Wind" brought Vivien Leigh worldwide fame and glory, but she said in another interview: "I'm not a movie star and never will be. It's a fake life among fake values, for the sake of popularity, nothing more. I agree to be an actress, it's for a long time and maybe even forever."

The picture received ten awards "Oscar", one of which was awarded to Vivien Leigh in the nomination "Best Actress".

Personal life

In March 1940, Laurence Olivier's wife, Hollywood actress Jill Esmond, finally agreed to a divorce. And husband Vivien Holman also decided not to keep his half. Thus, the tension that has been in the air for the past few years has disappeared. All four remained good friends. August 30, 1940 Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier got married in Santa Barbara, California.

"Family" roles

Vivien Leigh, in her naivete, believed that, having become the legal wife of Olivier, she would participate in all his films, and only in the main female roles. The first disappointment befell her after the actress auditioned for a role in the film "Rebecca" directed by Alfred Hitchcock and ... was not approved. "He doesn't play sincerely and childishly enough," that's what the resume looked like. It turned out that Vivien Leigh could not get together as a performer if Laurence Olivier was not on the set. As a result, the role went to actress Joan Fontaine.

And the Oliviers met on the set of "Lady Hamilton", where Vivienne played Emma Hamilton, and Lawrence played the role of Horatio Nelson. After this film, the actress received the status of a Hollywood star, which she did not particularly crave, but had to come to terms.

The picture was a huge success all over the world, and for Vivien personally, the film became her favorite.

Prime Minister of England

The popularity of "Lady Hamilton" was so high that Winston Churchill organized a screening of the film for Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his entourage, and after the screening he turned to those present: "Gentlemen, the film reflects great events like those in which you took part." The Oliviers suddenly became Churchill's favorites, he took care of them in every possible way, invited them to all dinner parties and other events. He considered Vivienne a role model, for him the actress was a goddess who descended from the cinematic Olympus, and Vivien Leigh's husband only complemented the charm of his wife. Churchill remained a faithful admirer of the talent of this couple until his death.

Vivien Leigh filmography

The actress starred in twenty films for thirty years, she devoted the rest of the time to the theater. Films with Vivien Leigh are included in the golden fund of world cinema, and the performer herself was awarded a personal Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is known that she is not a supporter of such entourage and has preached modesty all her life. The whole story of Vivien Leigh talks about it. However, sometimes you have to obey the laws dictated by the reality of the social environment, and most importantly - the popularity and love of the people.

The role of the actress was not conducive to numerous roles, but Vivien Leigh, whose filmography contains 18 paintings, is forever inscribed in the annals of cinema.

The most famous roles of the actress in films:

- "Things are going well", 1935;

- "A Yankee at Oxford", 1938;

- "Gone with the Wind", 1939;

- "Waterloo Bridge", 1940;

- "Lady Hamilton", 1941;

- "Tram" Desire ", 1951.

External data of the actress

Hollywood requirements for the appearance of actors and especially actresses are quite strict. There are certain rules that must be followed. Vivien Leigh, whose height, weight and body parameters fully met Hollywood standards, never went on a diet, did not exhaust herself with jogging and other physical exercises. She could lose some weight if she had to be nervous, but this did not affect her figure in any way.

Actress Vivien Leigh, whose height, weight and waist could become an example or even a standard of female appearance, was the subject of adoration for millions of moviegoers, not only men, but also women. Many girls dreamed of being like their idol in a female form. And Vivien Leigh herself, whose height was only 161 centimeters, wanted to be a little taller. A weight of 53 kilograms suited her perfectly, and a waist of 56 centimeters was even a matter of pride.

Romeo and Juliet

Vivien and Lawrence formed a creative duo, deciding to work together. However, their first production together, a classic Shakespearean story that they created for the theater Broadway in New York, Romeo and Juliet, was not a success. Critics compared the voice of the actress with the voice of a bazaar, and the game was called "a kind of similarity." Romeo-Lawrence received approximately the same reviews.

Most of the newspaper articles began with the words: "Despite the beauty and youth of Miss Lee and the charm and masculinity of Mr. Olivier, their game ...". On top of the failure, it turned out that the couple invested a significant part of their personal funds in the production, and this money disappeared forever. Vivien Leigh chose further roles more carefully.

Continuation

The disappointed couple left for England. In 1943, Vivien Leigh decided to tour North Africa. The trip took place, and everything went well, the actress traveled through Egypt, Algeria, Morocco. Then she began to feel unwell and developed a fever accompanied by a debilitating cough. I had to spend two weeks in the hospital and then return to the UK. In 1944, doctors made a terrible diagnosis - tuberculosis. The form is neglected, chronic, with the defeat of most of the left lung. The operation was no longer possible.

But after Vivienne underwent a course of intensive medical therapy, the disease receded. In the spring of 1945, the actress returned to work and played one of her most successful roles - Cleopatra in the film "Caesar and Cleopatra" based on the play by Bernard Shaw.

Laurence Olivier did not take part in the work on the picture, he did not even go to the site once. Nevertheless, he supported his wife in every possible way in her aspirations. Vivien felt bad: she was pregnant, it had to be hidden, there were contradictions. The actress took out her bad mood on her husband, pounced on him almost with her fists, physically attacked him until, exhausted, she fell to the floor. These emotional breakdowns occurred more and more often. But when, unfortunately, Vivienne had a miscarriage, she instantly came to her senses and found peace of mind.

Knighthood of Olivier

In 1947, Lawrence was knighted at Buckingham Palace. Actress Vivien Leigh, whose biography opened one of her main pages that day, accompanied her husband to the ceremony and was present there from beginning to end. Having become the titled Lady Olivier, the actress rejoiced like a child, because in her life there was no such public recognition, and the popularity of the famous film actress did not appeal to her. Therefore, Vivien tried to maintain the prestigious title bestowed by the Queen of Great Britain, even after her divorce from Lawrence. The couple divorced in 1960, and the actress continued to be Lady Olivier. But for millions of moviegoers, she remained known simply under the name of Vivien Leigh. The children that Laurence Olivier dreamed of never appeared, and the life of the once happy couple continued as usual.

Tour, performances, filming

In 1948, Laurence Olivier joined the Board of Directors of the Old Vic Theater and went on an extended fundraising tour of New Zealand and Australia with his wife. For six months, the couple successfully performed in various performances, the tour was a crushing success, and everything would have been fine if not for Vivienne's illness. During the attacks, the actress was replaced by an understudy, and she herself tried not to succumb to despondency, and she succeeded. Lawrence and he noticed how charming his wife is in dealing with the press.

But the relationship between the spouses became more and more tense, mutual irritation increasingly worried both. Once Vivien, under the influence of a momentary mood, refused to go on stage. Lawrence flared up and slapped his wife, she was not offended at all and answered the same, so much so that Olivier flew off to the other side of the room. And Vivien straightened up and, as if nothing had happened, went to play her part, being in a great mood. Then both felt devastated and even refused to give interviews.

Again England

Returning to the UK, the couple appeared together in the West End, thereby dispelling rumors of major disagreements. Vivien and Lawrence played some old plays and added a new one called "Antigone". The actress has long dreamed of trying her hand at the genre of tragedy and achieved her participation in the production of Tennessee Williams' play A Streetcar Named Desire. The director was Laurence Olivier.

The audience's reaction to the performance was mixed, many were shocked by the obvious allusions to the basest manifestations of human nature, which formed the basis of the production. The debate was heated, with most viewers believing that vices had no place in the British theater scene. Lee and Olivier were extremely upset and puzzled by how events unfolded around the play. But, surprisingly, disputes and disagreements provided the theater with a grandiose commercial success, the audience poured in.

Vivien Leigh played more than three hundred times in the play "A Streetcar Named Desire", and then the actress received an invitation to participate in the film version of the production. She was to play with the controversial Marlon Brando. The role exhausted Vivien, but she brilliantly coped with the task. According to the results of the work, the actress received the second Oscar for Best Actress. All films with Vivien Leigh were nominated in one way or another, and she also received other awards.

In the spring of 1967, the actress's illness worsened, tuberculosis progressed, and the treatment did not help. Vivienne passed away in July.

We live in a time when the past is rarely remembered and often negatively. But the past keeps the names of those heroes of a bygone era, whose light will shine in 100 years and longer. There are few of these chosen ones, and one of them is Vivien Leigh - considered by many experts and historians of cinema and theater to be the greatest actress of all time. There is no point in arguing. This is true. Seeing her for the first time on the screen in the film "Waterloo Bridge" when I was only 4 years old, I retained awe and adoration for this outstanding personality, above all. A sophisticated English aristocrat was able to become a national heroine of America and, being little known on the North American continent, get a role symbolizing an energetic, purposeful, strong-willed American of Irish blood, able to cope with all adversities, at the same time selfish, capricious, but beautiful Scarlett O "Hara from "Gone with the Wind". 1500 actresses claimed the role. Among them, the whole color of Hollywood - Bette Davis, Joan Benett, Jean Arthur, Paulette Goddard. It was the latter who was the clear favorite. But Hollywood bosses were embarrassed by the ambiguity of the fact of Goddard's marriage to Chaplin, and to show evidence about marriage, Paulette Goddard refused. So, the coveted role went to the "dark horse" - the Englishwoman Vivien Leigh. The producers turned out to be far-sighted. The role of Scarlett turned out to be a cult, for all time. The image became a household name. Vivienne was distinguished by a rare acting flair and the gift of reincarnation. Her game was like magic - magical, mysterious and beautiful. incomparable. A great role in a great film - an actress who became iconic overnight. True, Vivien Leigh paid in full for her unprecedented, early fame ...

Vivian Mary Hartley was born on November 5, 1913 in the Indian city of Darjeeling, in the family of an Englishman - an Indian cavalry officer. Her mother was an English aristocrat of Armenian origin. Vivien's relationship with her mother was very difficult. Her mother, a staunch Catholic, imposed her order in everything on her only daughter, who was a very vulnerable, sickly child with her rich inner world. I must say, mother Vivienne-Gertrude instilled in her daughter a taste for literature and theater. And she did not interfere with her daughter's artistic career. Most likely, she was the first to see an exceptional acting talent in her child. Vivienne entered the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, graduating in 1933. In December 1932, Vivienne Marie married lawyer Herbert Lee Holman, who was 13 years older than her. In October 1933, their daughter Suzanne was born. But the role of the mother of the family did not suit her. Even as a child, she knew that her destiny was theater, cinema. In 1936, Vivienne starred in the English film Fire Over England. On the set, she met Laurence Olivier, her future husband and the man who brought her a lot of suffering.

Already published after the death of Vivien Leigh, a book written by Laurence Olivier contained many details regarding her manic depressions, inexplicable outbursts of anger and depression while working on Gone with the Wind. Yes, Vivian was ill, but these depressions were caused by the drugs she was being treated against for tuberculosis, which she had suffered from for many years. The disease took away the last strength, but it could not take away the great talent. The side effect of the drugs became known only after the departure of the actress from life. She has had lung problems since childhood. Anyway, in 2006, Vivien's legendary partner in Gone with the Wind, the famous Olivia de Haviland, defended the good name of the actress, saying that Vivian was disciplined, selfless and deeply professional during filming. Olivia and Vivien were lifelong friends and appreciated each other. Lee played the main roles in the films that immortalized her: "Gone with the Wind", "Waterloo Bridge", "Lady Hamilton", "A Streetcar Named Desire" - 4 masterpieces of world cinema. Vivien was twice nominated for an Oscar, and won twice, for her role as Scarlett O'Hara in 1939, and in 1951 for her role as Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desire. And yet the main thing for Vivienne was the theater - she was the first lady of the English stage. Premiere of the theater "Old Vic" superbly played Cleopatra, Juliet, Ophelia, Lady Macbeth. In 1940, Lee Holman gave her a divorce and they married Laurence Olivier. Daughter Vivienne - Suzanne stayed with her father. Gertrude Robinson, Vivienne's mother, also took care of her upbringing. Fortunately, Susanna and Vivian then became close and the daughter did not hold a grudge against her mother. She gave the actress 3 grandchildren. Suzanne is still in good health. She is 80 years old. She lives in England. Interview practically does not give and avoids publicity.

They lived with Laurence Olivier for 20 years. It was a beautiful, but not the happiest union. Of course, there was love in this couple, but Vivien was sick, bouts of tuberculosis became more frequent, in addition, her mental state was not stable. Lawrence already then began to get involved in the male sex. And there were always plenty of women around him. He couldn't and didn't want to. Vivien suffered. She never stopped loving him, never. The acting world condemned Laurence Olivier and sympathized with Vivien Leigh. Family troubles could not but affect her condition. She tried to distract herself, went headlong into work. She was a great actress, both on stage and on the movie screen, she was truthful and captivating. They said about her: "Not a single film actress is so good on the stage, and not a single theater actress is as good in films as Vivien Leigh." And so it was. In 1960, Vivienne and Lawrence divorced. She continued to play in the theater and acted in films very little. Her exactingness to herself, maximalism were known in the theater and cinema environment. She couldn't spare herself.

The last years of her life next to the actress was the Canadian actor John Merival. She was visited by her daughter with her children. She did not see Laurence Olivier. He saw her already dead, lying on the bed in their once-marital bedroom. Lawrence outlived her by 22 years. Vivien Leigh died after another bout of tuberculosis on July 7, 1967 at her home in London. She was 53 years old. On July 7, all theaters in London turned off their lights for an hour in memory of the great actress. In the 20th century, there were many outstanding actresses in world cinema, but Scarlett O "Hara, Emma Hamilton, Blanche Dubois is the only one for us - Vivien Leigh. She lived so little, having done so much at the same time, so that her memory would reach those who was not lucky enough to catch and live in the era of the crystal legend of the English scene, the queen of world cinema.She did not like the word star and considered it abusive, and really which star is she?She is the goddess who left us and ran far beyond the horizon to illuminate with the eternal radiance of all those who remember her, love and honor her.Happy birthday Vivien.Rest in peace.

“I am not a movie star. I'm an actress. Being a movie star - just a movie star - is like a fake life lived for fake values ​​and fame. Acting is long lasting and there are always great roles to play."
Vivien Lee.

Vivien Leigh, Lady Olivier (née Vivian Mary Hartley) is an English actress. One of the greatest and most famous people in the history of cinema.

The actress won two Oscars for her roles as American beauties - in the films Gone with the Wind, where she played Scarlet O'Hara, and in A Streetcar Named Desire for the role of Blanche Dubois.

Vivien Leigh possessed not only an incredible acting talent. She was an unusually beautiful woman. Many still consider her the standard of beauty. At one time, she conquered thousands of men's hearts.

Vivien Leigh became a popular actress of that era and constantly delighted her fans with new films.

The biography of the actress is bright and full of interesting facts.

Height, weight, age. Vivien Leigh life years

Vivien Leigh was extraordinarily beautiful. I wanted to look at her. Her appearance attracted the eyes of many men, and women often envied her. Admirers of her work have always been interested in the physical parameters of the actress, such as height, weight, age. Vivien Leigh lived from November 5, 1913 to July 8, 1967. Vivien Leigh died at 53. Photos in his youth and now are of interest to viewers.

In her youth, the actress looked just great. Everyone admired her parameters. Vivien Leigh's height was 161 centimeters. She weighed about 47 kilograms.

Vivien Leigh was recognized as one of the most beautiful actresses of the twentieth century. But in old age, the image of a capricious wayward star was not fixed.

Biography of Vivien Leigh

Vivien Lee's biography began in India. She was born on November 3, 1913. Father - Ernest Hartley, was a soldier. Mother - Gertrude Robinson Yaki, was a housewife, but later devoted herself to the theater.

Vivien Leigh dreamed of becoming an actress since childhood. At the age of 3, she performed on stage for the first time.

The actress studied in England at a school at the Convent of the Sacred Heart. Later she entered the London Drama High School. During her studies, she acted in small roles in films.

Filmography: films starring Vivien Leigh

Vivien Leigh's filmography is quite extensive: "Gone with the Wind", "Lady Hamilton", "A Streetcar Named Desire" and others made an incredible sensation. The actress received national recognition and positive reviews from film critics.

Vivien Leigh's grandchildren were born in the last years of the actress's life. There were three of them - Neville, Jonathan and Rupert Farrington.

Vivien Leigh's personal life

Vivien Leigh's personal life was not particularly diverse. The actress was damn attractive and charming. Therefore, the actress was not deprived of male attention. But, despite this, the actress was married only twice.

The first husband of the actress was the lawyer Gerber Lee Holman. The relationship did not last long. The reason for the breakup was that Vivien Leigh's husband was against her acting.

A little later, the talented actress met true love. Laurence Olivier became the second husband of Vivien Leigh. Together they lived for over 20 years.

Vivien Leigh family

Vivien Leigh's family is her stage, her creative work. Here the actress was simply irresistible. She gave herself completely to her work. That is why she did not have a family, as such.

With her first husband, Gerber Lee Holman, the relationship did not work out. She gave her daughter from her first marriage to be raised by her father.

In the last years of the actress's life, her second husband, Laurence Olivier, also left. He did not have the strength to endure the antics of his wife. The actress died alone.

It is difficult to say whether Vivien Leigh was happy during her lifetime. But we can say with confidence that all her years she served beauty, believed in the kindness of this world.

Vivien Leigh children

Vivien Leigh's children were not the main goal of the actress. She devoted herself entirely to theater and cinema.

From her first marriage, she had an only daughter, Suzanne, whom she gave to be raised by her husband and father of the girl, Gerber Lee Holman.

It is also known that during the second marriage, the actress tried to get pregnant, but in the end she had two miscarriages. This was affected by Vivien Leigh's illness. The nervous system of the actress was greatly shaken, and by the last years of her life, capriciousness and hysteria began to appear in her. There have also been cases of split personality. All this negatively affected the physical condition of Vivien Leigh.

Vivien Leigh's daughter - Suzanne Farrington

Vivien Leigh's daughter is Suzanne Farrington, the only child of the actress. A girl was born on October 12, 1933. Then the actress was first married to lawyer Gerber Lee Holman.

From childhood, a nanny took care of Susanna. And soon, the mother left home, leaving her daughter to her husband.

In adolescence, Vivien Leigh nevertheless took Suzanne and they lived together. At first, their relationship was strained, but soon motherly love melted the girl's heart. After this period, there were even photographs showing the actress and Vivien Leigh's daughter Suzanne. Photos are easy to find on the Internet.

Suzanne married a boxer and had three children.

Vivien Leigh's ex-husband Gerber Lee Holman

Vivien Leigh's ex-husband is Gerber Lee Holman, the first husband of the actress. The couple got married when the actress was 19 years old, and Gerber Lee Holman was over 30. Soon a daughter, Suzanne, was born in the family.

The husband of the beautiful Vivien Leigh has prepared for his wife the role of a housewife, where she does housework and raises her daughter. He forbade her acting. At first, Vivien Leigh followed her husband's instructions. But later, the actress could not stand it and left the family, leaving her daughter to be raised by her husband.

Vivien Leigh's first marriage turned out to be a mistake of youth.

Vivien Leigh's husband Olivier Lawrence

Vivien Leigh's husband - Olivier Lawrence, an actor, became the second chosen one of the actress. Young people met during the filming, where they played lovers. By chance, a spark flared up between them, which then turned into love.

For some time, Vivien Leigh and Olivier Lawrence hid their relationship, since both were still married. The marriage could only be formalized in 1940 in Santa Barbara, USA.

Vivien Leigh and Olivier Lawrence lived together for a long time. The love story ended in 1960. The husband of the actress could no longer endure the hysterical antics of his wife and left the family. A little later he got married.

Wikipedia Vivien Leigh

Wikipedia Vivien Leigh provides extensive information about the life and work of an actress of extraordinary beauty. Here you can get acquainted with the filmography, with its awards and prizes. The information is reliable and is in the public domain.

Note that Vivien Leigh was an incredibly talented actress. She gave herself completely to the stage. Perhaps this was the cause of her death. She forgot about her emotional state, often fell into depression. In May 1967, Vivien Leigh began to have new bouts of tuberculosis. On July 7 of the same year, she passed away.

Many fans think they know everything about the legendary actresses, but the most famous Hollywood and European film stars of the 20th century managed to leave something behind the veil of secrecy, like real women of mystery. the site continues the "series", in which it will reveal all the details of the personal life of cult stars.

On this topic

“I'm not a movie star. I'm an actress. Being a movie star - just a movie star - is like a fake life lived for fake values ​​and fame. Acting is long lasting and there are always great roles to play,” perhaps that’s all there is to know about Vivien Leigh, who is tender, fragile, and at the same time strong and masculine. The difficult story of her life includes victories and defeats, passionate love and a painful break, world fame and several terrible diseases at once, one of which became fatal. You can make a film about her herself, but there is hardly an actress who can adequately perform the main role in it.

Unlike her famous heroine Scarlett O'Hara, the star could not survive the disappointment in love. According to her relatives, the actress did not die from an illness - she did not want to live without her lover ... However, there were several men who loved and loved Vivien Leigh. In our material, we will remember those lucky ones (or is it the other way around?) Who left their mark on the fate of the legendary woman.

Herbert Lee Holman

Herbert Lee Holman and Vivien Leigh at their daughter's wedding

The future star was born in the Indian town of Darjeeling, where his father, a British citizen, was doing his military duty. Mom Vivian Lee (that was the name she was given after her birth) came from ancient Irish and French families. Such a mixture of blood gave the girl an extraordinary beauty and got rid of the truly British stiffness.

She was seven when her parents returned to England and sent the girl to a Catholic school at the monastery of the Sacred Heart, so that she would receive a decent education and slightly pacify her violent temperament. Only after 11 long years of study did she return to her parents' family. Vivian turned 19 when she met lawyer Herbert Lee Holman, who was 13 years older than her, while walking with her friends. “I want to marry him,” she told her mother immediately after the meeting. She was not embarrassed that Holman was already engaged:

So what, he just hasn't met me yet!

After the wedding, at first everything went according to the rules: a honeymoon in Germany and Austria, a return to London, home improvement - a mansion in the center of London. Vivian and Lee Holman's daughter Suzanne was born on October 12, 1933. In her diary, Vivian wrote: "A child appeared - a girl." And to a friend who came to visit her at the Marylebone Maternity Hospital, she said, “It was all so stupid. I don't think I'll be doing it again in the near future." Then the marriage of the Holman couple, anticipating events, became very similar to the union of Scarlett O'Hara and Frank Kennedy: the husband dreamed of a wife - a domestic cat, and married a cat walking by itself.

John Gliddon

After several unsuccessful attempts to get roles in the theater, Vivian nevertheless found the right person who decided to help her. In the autumn of 1934, she became the first client of John Gliddon, a former actor who opened his own theater agency. With his light hand, she began to be called Vivian Lee - her husband's name was used as a stage name.

Global Look Press

Thanks to John, Vivian got the role of a young prostitute in the play "The Mask of Virtue", which love returns to the path of virtue. Vivian had almost no experience, however, after the premiere, the journalists announced the "appearance of a new British star" and the "triumph of a young debutante." The stage name had to be changed again - Vivian turned into Vivienne.

Thus began her life in art - her lawyer husband and little daughter did not have a place in her. Auditions for roles in the theater, screen tests, photography for fashion magazines and, as was customary in the theatrical environment, light love affairs - first, as some biographers of Lee still believe, with agent John Gliddon himself. Vivien was an addicted person, the religious principles instilled in a Catholic school flew off her like a husk, and she did not feel remorse because of fleeting betrayals of her husband: “Since this happened, you should not think about it!”

Laurence Olivier

Of course, the aspiring actress attended all the premieres. At that time, the play "Royal Theater" was just released at the Lyric Theater, where one of the roles was played by 27-year-old Laurence Olivier. He seemed to Vivien smart, handsome, seductive and incredibly sexy. But Lawrence, or simply Larry, was already married to actress Jill Esmond, who came from an influential theatrical family.

What she couldn't have, she wanted. What others had, she also sought to get,

Vivien's school friend Patsy Quinn told me later. She meant the story of the girl's acquaintance with Lee Holman, but the same thing happened later with Laurence Olivier. “I will marry him,” Vivien again told her relatives. However, if not for Vivien's initiative, her relationship with Larry would most likely have remained only a novel. He didn't want to get divorced. Moreover, Olivier and his legal wife decided to have a child to strengthen their marriage. Vivienne knew about this, but did not at all consider the baby an insurmountable obstacle - she herself had a little Susanna, but this is not a chain that chained her to Lee Holman for life! Tarquin, son of Laurence Olivier and Jill Esmond, was born in mid-August 1936. By that time, the actor's marriage because of Vivien was already bursting at the seams.

Leigh pursued Olivier with the same tenacity that Scarlett pursued Ashley. At the end of 1938, Vivien and Larry went overseas to conquer Hollywood. First, Olivier went to America - he was supposed to play Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. Some time later, Vivien followed him - she knew that thanks to the new agent Myron Selznick (brother of Gone with the Wind producer David Selznick), Scarlett was waiting for her. By that time, both Olivier and Lee had already left their former families and lived together. But while the movie was being made, Selznick tried by hook or by crook to keep Lawrence away from Vivienne. He absolutely did not need a scandal, and it cannot be avoided if it turns out that "Scarlett", having a husband and a little daughter, openly lives with a lover, and he also has a wife and a little son ... After the premiere, the popular American weekly Photoplay published an article about Larry and Vivien's romantic relationship:

They may have to hear a lot of cruel things about themselves. But most of all they think about each other. More than money and a career, more than friends or words, more than life itself.

Thus began the legend of one of the most famous couples of the twentieth century. In early 1940, both Vivien's husband Herbert Holman and Lawrence's wife Jill Esmond finally filed petitions for divorce. By the spring, both cases were completed, and both plaintiffs received custody of the children. For Vivienne, separation from her daughter was by no means a tragedy: in her mind, marriage was not associated either with home life or with raising children. Now she was with Larry not only on the screen or on stage. They became the Olivier couple, the perfect couple. Beautiful as gods, talented to the point of genius, rich and very famous, in love with each other - all at once! This is not the case with ordinary people. They weren't exactly like that either.

Vivienne began to receive the first bills from fate when all her desires seemed to come true. In July 1944, on the set of the film Caesar and Cleopatra, she lost her child. Shortly after the miscarriage, right on the set, she suffered a severe nervous breakdown. Filming had to be interrupted for several weeks, but then it seemed that Vivienne had completely recovered. In 1945, there was a new misfortune: Lee was diagnosed with an open tuberculosis process. A year of treatment and confinement in the Notley Abbey family nest followed.

This forced break in Vivien's career was a year of rapid growth for Lawrence's career. The theater that once brought Larry and Vivienne together now breeds them. The theater became her main rival. She really needed success, she needed to prove to the world that she still owns the hearts of the public. And Vivien accepted the offer to star in the film "Anna Karenina", but during the filming she experienced another bout of depression. To help his wife, Olivier included three performances of Hamlet in the Australian tour program, where Vivien had the main role of Ophelia. She was again Olivier's partner on stage, but now it turned out not to be a joy, but an ordeal.

Peter Finch

In the eyes of the whole world, Lawrence and Vivien were still inseparable, but in fact their paths were already diverging. He was consumed by work, her by illness. In addition, a third stood between them. 30-year-old actor Peter Finch was not yet world famous, but he was talented, funny, very reminiscent of Larry in his youth, and Vivien fell in love. The novel began to develop rapidly after the Australian tour, in London, where Finch arrived at the invitation of Olivier. Lawrence wanted to make Finch partner with Lee on stage. He could not help but assume that Vivien's attractiveness would not leave indifferent, and at the same time he did not mind at all his wife's little affair with Peter.

The fact is that for Lee, sex with another man became a kind of antidepressant, so Olivier took the appearance of Finch calmly, almost with relief, believing that this did not threaten their union at all. However, everything went a little further than the actor would like. Roman Vivien and Peter, fading and flaring up again, lasted almost nine years. All these years, Vivien Leigh's mental illness has been gaining momentum. Now retreating, then again taking possession of her victim, she made the life of herself and those who are nearby, similar to the life of a dormant volcano: now it’s calm, but what will happen tomorrow?

Vivien even tried to run away with Peter Finch twice. Both "escapes" happened in 1955. The first time, the lovers spent several days in France, and the second they gathered in New York, but the flight did not take place due to fog. From the London airport they returned to Notley Abbey, and this was the finale of "a little nine-year affair." Then Olivier makes one last attempt to save the marriage. In 1955, he puts on three Shakespearean plays, where they play together with Vivien. In July 1956, the actress announced at a press conference that she and Larry were expecting a baby. In August she retired from the stage and retired to Notley Abbey to prepare for the joyful event that was to take place in December. At that time she was already forty-two years old. If Vivienne had had a baby, maybe things wouldn't have turned out so badly. But the baby was not born - a miscarriage occurred again. And again a nervous breakdown, depression, electric shock ...

Jack Merrivale

For the 1959-60 season, Vivien Leigh was offered a role in New York. Then Larry Olivier had already left her, but there was no official divorce yet. Notley-Abby was put up for sale, and staying in England was unbearable for the actress. Her partner in the new production was the actor Jack Merrivale, who by this time had managed to get married, divorced, and make a good theatrical career. At first, their relationship was just friendly.

To tell the truth, I was shy. It was clear that her marriage was completely broken, but Vivien was still terribly attached to Larry. She surrounded herself with his photographs. Once during rehearsal, when I was wearing a plaid suit, she held out her hand to him and sadly said: “Larry had the same one. God, how I wish he was here!” This alone was enough for me to think of nothing but friendship.

At the same time, Vivienne did not forget about Lawrence. “If you had a chance to start all over again, would you like to live your life differently?” - in one of the interviews the reporter Lee asked. “No, I would become an actress again and marry Larry. Even if I had to propose to him myself. Better a short life with him than a long one without him,” she replied. On July 8, 1967, Vivien Leigh died of aggravated tuberculosis. As soon as Lawrence learned of her death, he immediately came to say goodbye to her, although he himself was then in the hospital. Left alone in the room with her, he prayed for a long time for "forgiveness for all the problems that arose between them."