Olivia de Havilland

Lore & Background

Olivia de Havilland first gained prominence as the screen partner of Errol Flynn in adventure films such as Captain Blood (1935) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). Her role as Melanie Hamilton in Gone with the Wind (1939) earned her the first of five Oscar nominations. In the 1940s, she moved beyond ingénue roles, earning four Best Actress nominations and winning for To Each His Own (1946) and The Heiress (1949). She also worked on stage, appearing three times on Broadway, and in television, including the miniseries Roots: The Next Generations (1979) and Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (1986), for which she won a Golden Globe Award.

Reader's Guide

Olivia de Havilland's significance lies in her long career spanning from 1935 to 1988, her two Academy Awards for Best Actress, and her status as a link to Hollywood's Golden Age. She was the oldest living Academy Award winner at her death. Her well-documented rivalry with her sister, actress Joan Fontaine, is notable as they remain the only siblings to have won major acting Academy Awards. De Havilland also received honors including the National Medal of the Arts, the Légion d'honneur, and appointment as Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire at age 101. Her legacy includes a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and recognition for her work in film, stage, and television.

Did You Know?

• She was the oldest living and earliest surviving Academy Award winner before her death at age 104.
• She and her sister Joan Fontaine are the only siblings to have won major acting Academy Awards.
• She received the appointment to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire at the age of 101.
• She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for the television film Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (1986).