Olivia De Havilland

About Olivia De Havilland

Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland, a distinguished British and American actress, graced the silver screen for over five decades, from 1935 to 1988, appearing in 49 feature films. At the time of her passing in 2020, at the remarkable age of 104, she held the distinction of being the oldest living and earliest surviving Academy Award recipient, recognized as the final prominent star of Hollywood's Golden Age. Her younger sister, the equally accomplished actress Joan Fontaine, with whom she shared a well-publicized and often competitive relationship, also achieved Oscar success.

De Havilland first captured audience attention as a captivating screen partner to Errol Flynn in classic adventure films, notably "Captain Blood" in 1935 and "The Adventures of Robin Hood" in 1938. Her iconic portrayal of Melanie Hamilton in the 1939 epic "Gone with the Wind" earned her the first of five Oscar nominations, this one for Best Supporting Actress. In the 1940s, she transitioned from youthful roles, delivering critically acclaimed performances in "Hold Back the Dawn" (1941), "To Each His Own" (1946), "The Snake Pit" (1948), and "The Heiress" (1949). These powerful portrayals garnered her nominations for Best Actress, with wins for "To Each His Own" and "The Heiress."

Her talents extended beyond film to the stage and television. From the 1950s, de Havilland resided in Paris, where she continued to be recognized for her artistic contributions. She received prestigious honors including the National Medal of the Arts, the Légion d'honneur, and was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire at the age of 101. On Broadway, she appeared in "Romeo and Juliet" (1951), "Candida" (1952), and "A Gift of Time" (1962). Her television work included the acclaimed miniseries "Roots: The Next Generations" (1979) and "Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna" (1986), which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award nomination and a Golden Globe win.

Throughout her career, de Havilland amassed accolades such as two New York Film Critics Circle Awards, the National Board of Review Award for Best Actress, and the Venice Film Festival Volpi Cup. Her enduring impact on the motion picture industry is commemorated with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Notably, she and her sister remain the sole sibling pair to have both won major acting Academy Awards.

Born into the landed gentry of Normandy, Olivia de Havilland's mother, Lilian Fontaine, was a stage actress with training from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, who also collaborated with notable musicians