Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh (; born Vivian Mary Hartley, and styled as Lady Olivier after 1947; 5 November 19138 July 1967) was an English stage and film actress. She won two Academy Awards for Best Actress, for her iconic performances as Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind" (1939) and Blanche DuBois in the film version of "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951), a role she had also played on stage in London's West End in 1949. She also won a Tony Award for her work in the Broadway musical version of "Tovarich" (1963). After completing her drama school education, Leigh
Gone with the Wind (film) Cukor, who had been hired to direct, but she was vetoed by Selznick who felt she was not right for the part. Many famous—or soon-to-be-famous—actresses were considered, but only thirty-one women were actually screen-tested for Scarlett including Ardis Ankerson, Jean Arthur, Tallulah Bankhead, Diana Barrymore, Joan Bennett, Nancy Coleman, Frances Dee, Ellen Drew (as Terry Ray), Paulette Goddard, Susan Hayward (under her real name of Edythe Marrenner), Vivien Leigh, Anita Louise, Haila Stoddard, Margaret Tallichet, Lana Turner and Linda Watkins. Although Margaret Mitchell refused to publicly name her choice, the actress who came closest to winning her approval was Miriam