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
Wuthering Heights (1939 film) loyal, wife even when Mr. Lockwood visits. The project was initially intended as a vehicle for Merle Oberon, who was under contract with Goldwyn at the time. However, when Laurence Olivier was cast as Heathcliff, Vivien Leigh wanted to play the lead role alongside her then-lover and future husband. Studio executives felt the role could not go to an actress who was largely unknown in America, but they did offer Leigh the part of Isabella Linton. She declined, and Geraldine Fitzgerald was cast. Leigh was cast in "Gone with the Wind" that same year, for which she won an Academy