Olivia de Havilland

Bio:

Olivia de Havilland (born Olivia Mary de Havilland in Tokyo, Japan on (July 1, 1916) is a British-American actress who appeared in 49 feature films during her career that spanned from 1935-1988. Olivia was one of the leading movie stars during the golden age of Classical Hollywood, and has gone on to win two Academy Awards for best actress for the films — “To Each His Own” (1946) and “The Heiress” (1949). This was after she broke away from what she considered were the unworthy parts offered to her at Warner Bros. In 1943, after trying to extend her seven-year contract, Olivia successfully sued the studio, making her case a staple in Hollywood that is still echoed about today.

Best Known For:

Olivia de Havilland is best known for her early screen performances in the 1935 film, Captain Blood, The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and Gone With the Wind (1939), among many others in her award winning acting career.

Personal Life: 

Olivia de Havilland married Marcus Goodrich, a Navy veteran, journalist and author in August, 1946 and welcomed their first child, Benjamin Goodrich in December 1949. They divorced four years in 1953. At age 19, Benjamin was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma, but died of heart disease in October 1991 at the age of 41. Olivia remarried in April 1955 to executive editor of the French journal, Paris Match, Pierre Galante. The couple had one child together in July 1956, a daughter, Gisèle Galante. Olivia and Pierre separated in 1962 and divorced in 1979. They remained close after divorcing, where she looked after him prior to his death after a battle with lung cancer. Olivia’s only sister was fellow Academy Award winner, Joan Fontaine. The sisters were notoriously known to have a tense relationship.