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Vivien Leigh

Vivien Leigh

Actor · Died July 7, 1967, aged 53 · Darjeeling, Bengal Presidency, British India [now West Bengal, India]

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. In 1951, she won her second Academy Award for A Streetcar Named Desire, where her portrayal of Blanche DuBois was deeply personal, reflecting her own struggles with mental health. Leigh suffered from bipolar disorder, which profoundly affected her career and personal relationships. She also battled chronic tuberculosis, first diagnosed in the mid-1940s, which ultimately led to her death on July 8, 1967, at the age of 53. After divorcing Olivier in 1960, she found companionship with actor John Merivale, who remained by her side until her passing. Despite periods of career instability, Leigh remains one of the most celebrated actresses of her time. In 1999, the American Film Institute (AFI) ranked her as the 16th greatest female movie star of classic Hollywood cinema. She also won a Tony Award for Tovarich (1963), proving her talent extended beyond film. Her beauty, talent, and dedication made her an enduring icon, and her performances continue to be studied and celebrated worldwide.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 5, 1913
Died
July 7, 1967 (aged 53)
From
Darjeeling, Bengal Presidency, British India [now West Bengal, India]
Works as
Actor
Titles
20 on MovieCove · 35 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26

What are Vivien Leigh's films like?

Across their 20 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Society.

Genres

Drama9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Documentary5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 80th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
28%
Society
19%
Morality
18%
Self
16%
Survival
8%
Power
8%
Ideas
3%
Romantic love9 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy3 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFame3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 20 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 7 · Serious 5 · Dark 8

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 14 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 3

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 6 · Charged 8 · Intense 6

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 12 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 3

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 16 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 2

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 15 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 11 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 7 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 8

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 17 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

13 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 7 of 13 analyzed roles.

Hero
7 of 13
Shapeshifter
3 of 13
Ally
2 of 13
Threshold guardian
1 of 13
Show the 13 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
12
Tense
9
Warm
8
Contemplative
6
Romantic
4
Other
16

How their films linger

Bittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet8
  • Tragic5
  • Ambiguous2
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Vivien Leigh's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 20 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Vivien Leigh's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

35 credits, 20 with a MovieCove page; 51 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • 1939: Secrets of Hollywood's Golden Year (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation(2020)

    as Blanche

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace(2019)

    as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • The Selznick Studios Retrospective Backlot Tour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as (in "Gone with the Wind") (archive footage)

  • Restoring a Legend: Gone with the Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    as Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind" (archive footage)

  • That's Entertainment! III(1994)

    as (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as (archive footage) (uncredited)

  • Marilyn Monroe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as archive footage

  • The Golden Gong(1985)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • That's Entertainment, Part II(1976)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Ivanov (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    as Anna Petrovna

  • Ship of Fools(1965)

    as Mary Treadwell

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Tovarich (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Tatiana

  • Antony and Cleopatra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    as Cleopatra

  • The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone(1961)

    as Karen Stone

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Skin of Our Teeth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    as Sabina

  • The Deep Blue Sea(1955)

    as Hester Collyer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • A Streetcar Named Desire(1951)

    as Blanche DuBois

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Rebecca (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    as Mrs. de winter

  • Anna Karenina(1948)

    as Anna Karenina

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Caesar and Cleopatra(1945)

    as Cleopatra

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • That Hamilton Woman(1941)

    as Emma, Lady Hamilton

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Private Lives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    as Amanda Prynne

  • Waterloo Bridge(1940)

    as Myra

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • 21 Days Together(1940)

    as Wanda

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Gone with the Wind(1939)

    as Scarlett O'Hara

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Sidewalks of London(1938)

    as Liberty

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • A Yank at Oxford(1938)

    as Elsa Craddock

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Dark Journey(1937)

    as Madeleine Goddard

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Fire Over England(1937)

    as Cynthia

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Storm in a Teacup(1937)

    as Victoria Gow

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Gentlemen's Agreement (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Phil Stanley

  • Look Up and Laugh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Marjorie Belfer

  • Things Are Looking Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Unnamed Schoolgirl

  • The Village Squire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Rose Venables

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 32 titles from 1935 to 2023; peak year 1965.

Biggest box office

Gone with the Wind (1939)

$402M worldwide

Highest rated

Gone with the Wind (1939)

Midcredits 97th

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19352023

Peak 1965 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 9 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting32 of 32: 32 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score67th

By decade

1930s10 · acting1940s6 · acting1950s4 · acting1960s5 · acting1970s1 · acting1980s2 · acting1990s1 · acting2000s1 · acting2010s1 · acting2020s1 · acting

Billing

usually 1st · top billed in 77% of 13 roles
3742

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Vivien Leigh's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 70th percentile, the median of all 20; across their 20 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 65th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Approval · how many liked their films

71stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Reach · how many have seen their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Midcredits score across 20 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th4

Shape of the crowd

14 of their 20 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser14
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · actor

The Golden Gong (1985)

54th percentile spread · 18% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Gone with the Wind (1939)

Midcredits 97th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the acting 80/100 in their films, across 16 reviewed titles; fans 86, detractors 59. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Vivien Leigh's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 57 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 28 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 21 · mildMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 39 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 56 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Vivien Leigh work with?

People who share at least 2 of Vivien Leigh's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Laurence Olivier shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers