Vivien Leigh

Vivien Leigh was a British actress known for her performances on stage and screen, especially as Scarlett O’Hara in *Gone with the Wind* (1939) and Blanche DuBois in *A Streetcar Named Desire* (1951).

Vivien Leigh was a British actress known for her performances on stage and screen, especially as Scarlett O’Hara in *Gone with the Wind* (1939) and Blanche DuBois in *A Streetcar Named Desire* (1951). She won two Academy Awards for Best Actress and also received a Tony Award later in her career. Her films, especially *Gone with the Wind*, remained part of mainstream film culture in Canada through cinema, television, and repertory screenings.

Early life

Vivien Leigh was born Vivian Mary Hartley on 5 November 1913 in Darjeeling, British India. She later trained in acting, including at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Film breakthrough

Leigh achieved worldwide fame with her role as Scarlett O’Hara in *Gone with the Wind* (1939), a performance that brought her her first Academy Award for Best Actress.

Stage and screen acclaim

She later won acclaim for Blanche DuBois in *A Streetcar Named Desire*, a role she first played on the London stage before the film adaptation. For that performance, she won her second Academy Award for Best Actress as well as the Volpi Cup for Best Actress. She also received a Tony Award for her stage role in *Tovarich*.

Later career and legacy

Leigh’s later work included stage and film roles such as *Tovarich*, *The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone*, and *Ship of Fools*. She died on 8 July 1967 in London, England, at age 53. She remains one of the best-known British actresses of the 20th century.