In 2020, Olivia de Havilland, a real legend in Hollywood, passed away. The 104-year-old Oscar-winning actor who starred in classic films like The Adventures of Robin Hood and Gone with the Wind has passed away.
The last major living Hollywood star was known for her dark sense of humor while filming Gone With the Wind, but her real life was even more sinister than her movies.
Olivia de Havilland’s personal life, as seen inside.
Everett Collection / Shutterstock . com Nobody can touch Olivia in terms of her grace, control, beauty, strength, intelligence, and wit. She was the definition of a lady.
As one of Hollywood’s top ingénues in the 1930s, De Havilland first gained notoriety in the action classics Captain Blood and The Adventures of Robin Hood, where she co-starred with Errol Flynn and played iconic roles. She finished the decade portraying Melanie Wilkes in the enduring Gone with the Wind, which is consistently cited as one of the greatest Hollywood films of all time and continues to be, when adjusted for inflation, the highest-grossing film ever made. Her most enduring performance may have been in this capacity. As the adoring best friend and confidante to Vivien Leigh’s Scarlett O’Hara, De Havilland gave a classic performance that led to her first Oscar nomination.
Olivia de Havilland’s personal life as seen from the inside.
Wikimedia Commons However, in 1943, she filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros., making her most significant off-screen contribution to Hollywood. She objected to the terms of her exclusive contract because she wanted the freedom to pursue roles with other studios.
She won the legal battle, helping actors win and reducing the power the studio system had over them. The de Havilland Law has been in force for a while. It also meant that de Havilland was able to shed the ingenue stereotype at Warner Bros. and pursue more dramatic roles, which paid off: She received numerous honors, including two Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the 1946 film To Each His Own and the 1949 film The Heiress.
Olivia de Havilland’s personal life, as seen inside.
Tragic childhood Wikimedia Commons In 1960, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2008, she received the National Medal of Arts. 1988 saw the final on-screen appearance of De Havilland, one of the last living examples of classic Hollywood. Olivia de Havilland had to have been incredibly proud of herself given her background and accomplishments. Her childhood was quite tragic and challenging. Lillian (nee Ruse), an actor, and Walter de Havilland, a patent attorney, were Olivia’s British parents. Olivia was born in Tokyo in 1916.
Olivia de Havilland’s personal life as seen from the inside.
1993 color photo of Kate Bush.
Soon after their arrival in the country, Lilian Fontaine and her daughters Joan Fontaine (on the floor) and Olivia de Havilland (seated) posed. Joan Fontaine, an actress who was born in 1917, was Olivia’s younger sister. According to the BBC, the sisters’ relationship and rivalry “was a constant source of speculation in the gossip columns.”. Olivia and Joan’s mother reportedly made the decision to move to California in 1919 as a result of their bronchial problems. The girls were to be moved to a more hospitable climate.
Olivia de Havilland’s personal life as seen from the inside.
Saratoga, which is situated in the Santa Cruz mountain foothills, was recommended by a doctor. Sadly, Lillian and Walter de Havilland never got along again. Known for having extramarital affairs, Olivia’s father would later abandon the family. 11 days after arriving in California, the father left for Tokyo to wed his Japanese housekeeper. Olivia de Havilland did not grow up with her mother, sister, or stepfather; rather, she was housed with all of them.
According to reports, the mother’s upbringing was very strict.
Lillian had a lot of expectations for her daughters.
In order to leave the house, Oliva and Joan needed permission.
The Olivia de Havilland of “Gone With the Wind” life.
De Havilland in the stage version of Alice in Wonderland, 1933 When a teenage de Havilland, with her large brown eyes and long golden-brown hair, started to become interested in amateur theater and started to appear in school plays, things at home started to go wrong. She had a strong desire to work in the entertainment industry, and this eventually led to a fight with her stepfather, George Milan Fontaine. Because he didn’t want Olivia to pursue a career as an actress, he threatened to evict her from the home if she took the lead role in the high school production of “Pride and Prejudice.”. However, Olivia’s appetite for drama was insatiable. She was warned by her strict stepfather that if she left the house, she would be gone forever. In order to pursue her dreams, the 17-year-old girl decided to accept the role and leave her family behind.
Olivia had been living at friends’ houses before being given a scholarship to Mills College. The remainder is now ancient history.
The Irish in Us, a 1935 film starring James Cagney and Olivia de Havilland. The atmosphere around us feels as though it is losing oxygen because of Olivia’s death. On July 26, 2020, she passed away at the age of 104. Her publicist stated that she died of natural causes at her Parisian residence. Hollywood was quick to pay tribute to the legend and her impressive career, as is only natural.
The legendary Olivia De Havilland passed away yesterday. She was 104. Olivia made a powerful impact in my life and I had the pleasure to spend some time with her in Paris. I thanked her for her bravery and shared how her choices affected me and my brother (1/6) pic.twitter.com/R9RXsrWHS9
— JARED LETO (@JaredLeto) July 26, 2020
Actress Jane Seymour recalled working with her on a movie and called her “larger than life” and “a brilliant actor.”. ”.
The renowned Olivia De Havilland passed away yesterday. Age-wise, she was 104. Olivia had a big impact on my life, and I was lucky to meet her in Paris. JARED LETO (@JaredLeto), July 26, 2020. I thanked her for her bravery and explained how her choices had an impact on my brother and me.
Olivia de Havilland’s personal life, as seen inside.
One of the most personal tributes was given by actor Jared Leto, who recalled meeting de Havilland in Paris and discussing how the actress’ legal victory impacted his own career. Leto wrote on Twitter, “I thanked her for her bravery and shared how her choices affected my brother and I. Messages left on de Havilland’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame were another way that admirers paid tribute to her.
What an amazing life and career, as documented by Shutterstock photographer Ringo Chiu. Your favorite Olivia de Havilland stories should be told along with this one.
RdotI.
P. to a genuine Hollywood icon.
