Olivia De Havilland

Date of Birth: July 1, 1916

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Date of Death: July 26, 2020

Biography

Olivia Mary de Havilland was a British-American actress whose career spanned more than five decades, from 1935 to 1988. She is best known for her roles in classic films such as “Gone with the Wind” (1939), “The Heiress” (1949), and “To Each His Own” (1946). De Havilland was born on July 1, 1916, in Tokyo, Japan, and later moved to California, where she began her acting career. She made her screen debut in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (1935) and quickly gained prominence for her roles in swashbuckling adventure films opposite Errol Flynn, such as “Captain Blood” (1935) and “The Adventures of Robin Hood” (1938). De Havilland was a two-time Academy Award winner, receiving Best Actress Oscars for her performances in “To Each His Own” and “The Heiress.” She was also noted for her successful legal challenge against Warner Bros. in the 1940s, which led to the “de Havilland Law,” limiting the length of studio contracts. Olivia de Havilland was one of the last surviving stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood. She passed away on July 26, 2020, in Paris, France, at the age of 104.

5 Interesting Facts about Olivia De Havilland

1. Olivia de Havilland was the sister of fellow actress Joan Fontaine, and their rivalry was one of the most famous in Hollywood history.

2. She was the first woman to serve as the president of the Cannes Film Festival jury in 1965.

3. De Havilland won two Academy Awards for Best Actress, for her roles in “To Each His Own” (1946) and “The Heiress” (1949).

4. Her legal victory against Warner Bros. in 1944 changed the Hollywood studio system and gave actors more freedom, known as the “de Havilland Law.”

5. Olivia de Havilland lived most of her later life in Paris, France, where she passed away at the age of 104.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Olivia De Havilland

1. “Famous people feel that they must perpetually be on the crest of the wave, doing things better than they did before.”

2. “I had a very big crush on Errol Flynn during ‘Captain Blood.’ I thought he was absolutely smashing for three weeks.”

3. “When I read ‘Gone with the Wind,’ I was not interested in Scarlett. I was interested in Melanie.”

4. “The one thing that you simply have to do, and I did, is take a stand. You take a stand and you stick to it.”

5. “I would prefer to live forever in perfect health, but if I must at some time leave this life, I would like to do so ensconced on a chaise longue, perfumed, wearing a velvet robe and pearl earrings, with a flute of champagne beside me.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

At the peak of her career, Olivia de Havilland’s net worth was estimated to be around $50 million.

Children

Olivia de Havilland had two children: 1. Benjamin Goodrich, born in 1949, who tragically passed away from Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1991. 2. Gisèle Galante, born in 1956, who is a journalist and lives in France.