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Olivia de Havilland

Olivia de Havilland

Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland DBE (July 1, 1916 - July 25, 2020) was a British-American actress, whose career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in 49 feature films, and was one of the leading movie stars during the golden age of Classical Hollywood. She is best known for her early screen performances in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and Gone with the Wind (1939), and her later award-winning performances in To Each His Own (1946), The Snake Pit (1948), and The Heiress (1949).

Born in Tokyo to British parents, de Havilland and her younger sister, actress Joan Fontaine, moved with their mother to California in 1919. They were brought up by their mother Lilian, a former stage actress who taught them drama, music, and elocution.

Olivia de Havilland made her screen debut in Reinhardt's A Midsummer Night's Dream in 1935. During her career, she often played demure ingénues opposite popular leading men, including Errol Flynn, with whom she made nine films. They became one of Hollywood's most popular romantic on-screen pairings.

She achieved her initial popularity in romantic comedy films, such as The Great Garrick (1937), and in Westerns, such as Dodge City (1939). Her natural beauty and refined acting style made her particularly effective in historical period dramas, such as Anthony Adverse (1936), and romantic dramas, such as Hold Back the Dawn (1941).

In her later career, she was most successful in dramas, such as Light in the Piazza (1962), and unglamorous roles in psychological dramas including Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964). In addition to her film career, de Havilland continued her work in the theatre, appearing three times on Broadway. She also worked in television, appearing in the successful miniseries, Roots: The Next Generations (1979), and television feature films, such as Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna, for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.

During her film career, de Havilland won two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, two New York Film Critics Circle Awards, the National Board of Review Award for Best Actress, and the Venice Film Festival Volpi Cup. For her contributions to the motion picture industry, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. For her lifetime contribution to the arts, she received the National Medal of Arts from President George W. Bush, and was appointed a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

De Havilland and Joan Fontaine are the only siblings to have won Academy Awards in a lead acting category. A lifelong rivalry between the two actresses resulted in an estrangement that lasted over three decades. De Havilland lived in Paris since 1956, and celebrated her 100th birthday on July 1, 2016.

In June 2017, two weeks before her 101st birthday, de Havilland was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to drama. She was the oldest woman ever to receive the honour. In a statement, she called it "the most gratifying of birthday presents".

See more:
The Rebellious Olivia de Havilland

The Rebellious Olivia de Havilland

2021

as Self - Actress

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year

2009

as Self (archive footage)

The Adventures of Errol Flynn

The Adventures of Errol Flynn

2005

as Self - Actress (also archive footage)

Melanie Remembers: Reflections by Olivia de Havilland

Melanie Remembers: Reflections by Olivia de Havilland

2004

as Herself

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies

1995

as Self

The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind

The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind

1988

as Self - Cast Member in 'Gone with the Wind' (archive footage)

The Woman He Loved

The Woman He Loved

1988

as Aunt Bessie Merryman

Anastasia - The Mystery of Anna

Anastasia - The Mystery of Anna

1986

as Dowager Empress Maria

North and South

North and South

1985

as Mrs. Neal

Night of 100 Stars II

Night of 100 Stars II

1985

as Self

Bette Davis: The Benevolent Volcano

Bette Davis: The Benevolent Volcano

1983

as Self

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

1983

as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Errol Flynn: Portrait of a Swashbuckler

Errol Flynn: Portrait of a Swashbuckler

1983

as Self

The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana

The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana

1982

as Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother

Murder Is Easy

Murder Is Easy

1982

as Honoria Waynflete

The Fifth Musketeer

The Fifth Musketeer

1979

as Anne d'Autriche

Roots: The Next Generations

Roots: The Next Generations

1979

as Mrs. Warner

The Swarm

The Swarm

1978

as Maureen Schuester

Inside 'the Swarm'

Inside 'the Swarm'

1978

as Self

The Love Boat

The Love Boat

1977

as Aunt Hilly

Airport '77

Airport '77

1977

as Emily Livingston

The American Film Institute Salute to ...

The American Film Institute Salute to ...

1973

as Self

Pope Joan

Pope Joan

1972

as Mother Superior

The Screaming Woman

The Screaming Woman

1972

as Laura Wynant

The Adventurers

The Adventurers

1970

as Deborah Hadley

Noon Wine

Noon Wine

1966

as Ellie Thompson

ABC Stage 67

ABC Stage 67

1966

as Ellie Thompson

Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte

Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte

1964

as Miriam Deering

Lady in a Cage

Lady in a Cage

1964

as Mrs. Cornelia Hilyard

The Hollywood Palace

The Hollywood Palace

1964

as Self

Light in the Piazza

Light in the Piazza

1962

as Meg Johnson

Libel

Libel

1959

as Lady Margaret Anne Loddon

The Proud Rebel

The Proud Rebel

1958

as Linnett Moore

The Ambassador's Daughter

The Ambassador's Daughter

1956

as Joan Fisk

Not as a Stranger

Not as a Stranger

1955

as Kristina Hedvigson / Kristina Marsh

That Lady

That Lady

1955

as Ana de Mendoza

Reflets de Cannes

Reflets de Cannes

1954

as Self

The Oscars

The Oscars

1953

as Self

My Cousin Rachel

My Cousin Rachel

1952

as Rachel Sangalletti Ashley

What's My Line?

What's My Line?

1950

as Self - Mystery Guest

The Heiress

The Heiress

1949

as Catherine Sloper

The Snake Pit

The Snake Pit

1948

as Virginia Stuart Cunningham

The Dark Mirror

The Dark Mirror

1946

as Terry / Ruth Collins

The Well Groomed Bride

The Well Groomed Bride

1946

as Margie Dawson

Devotion

Devotion

1946

as Charlotte Brontë

To Each His Own

To Each His Own

1946

as Miss Josephine 'Jody' Norris

Breakdowns of 1944

Breakdowns of 1944

1944

as Self

Government Girl

Government Girl

1943

as Elizabeth 'Smokey' Allard

Princess O'Rourke

Princess O'Rourke

1943

as Princess Maria

Thank Your Lucky Stars

Thank Your Lucky Stars

1943

as Self

Show-Business at War

Show-Business at War

1943

as Self

Stars on Horseback

Stars on Horseback

1943

Breakdowns of 1942

Breakdowns of 1942

1942

as Self

In This Our Life

In This Our Life

1942

as Roy Timberlake

The Male Animal

The Male Animal

1942

as Ellen Turner

They Died with Their Boots On

They Died with Their Boots On

1941

as Elizabeth Bacon

Hold Back the Dawn

Hold Back the Dawn

1941

as Emmy Brown

The Strawberry Blonde

The Strawberry Blonde

1941

as Amy Lind

Santa Fe Trail

Santa Fe Trail

1940

as Kit Carson Holliday

Cavalcade of the Academy Awards

Cavalcade of the Academy Awards

1940

as Self

My Love Came Back

My Love Came Back

1940

as Amelia Cornell

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex

1939

as Lady Penelope Gray

Raffles

Raffles

1939

as Gwen

Dodge City

Dodge City

1939

as Abbie Irving

Gone with the Wind

Gone with the Wind

1939

as Melanie Hamilton

Wings of the Navy

Wings of the Navy

1939

as Irene Dale

Hard to Get

Hard to Get

1938

as Margaret "Maggie" Richards

Four's a Crowd

Four's a Crowd

1938

as Lorri Dillingwell

Out Where the Stars Begin

Out Where the Stars Begin

1938

as Serena Ferris (archive footage)

The Adventures of Robin Hood

The Adventures of Robin Hood

1938

as Maid Marian

Gold Is Where You Find It

Gold Is Where You Find It

1938

as Serena Ferris

The Great Garrick

The Great Garrick

1937

as Germaine de la Corbe

It's Love I'm After

It's Love I'm After

1937

as Marcia West

A Day at Santa Anita

A Day at Santa Anita

1937

as Olivia de Havilland (uncredited)

Call It a Day

Call It a Day

1937

as Catherine 'Cath' Hilton

The Charge of the Light Brigade

The Charge of the Light Brigade

1936

as Elsa Campbell

Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)

Screen Snapshots (Series 16, No. 1)

1936

as Self

Anthony Adverse

Anthony Adverse

1936

as Angela Guiseppe

The Making of a Great Motion Picture

The Making of a Great Motion Picture

1936

A Dream Comes True

A Dream Comes True

1935

as Herself (uncredited)

Captain Blood

Captain Blood

1935

as Arabella Bishop

A Midsummer Night's Dream

A Midsummer Night's Dream

1935

as Hermia

The Irish in Us

The Irish in Us

1935

as Lucille Jackson

Alibi Ike

Alibi Ike

1935

as Dolly Stevens