Olivia de Havilland is a worldwide famous actress and one of the most outstanding movie stars of the Hollywood’s Golden Age. During her long and successful career, the actress starred in 49 films. Today, Olivia is 101, but she is still full of energy and enthusiasm when she speaks about her work in cinematography.
Olivia has a British origin though she was born in Tokyo, where her father worked as a patent attorney. Olivia was not the only child in her family, she also had a sister, Joan. In 1919, the family moved from Japan to Northern California, where the girls’ mother, who was a former actress, taught them drama, music, and dancing.
Olivia had strained relations with her sister; both women constantly competed with each other. When Olivia was 18, a famous stage director noticed the young lady on stage during a local performance and offered her a part in LA version of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. After some great reviews, the actress signed the contract with Warner Bros. Studios.
De Havilland is best known for her parts in the early version of ‘The Adventures of Robin Hood’ and, of course, the legendary ‘Gone With the Wind’.
Her role of Melanie Hamilton in the iconic film made Olivia a worldwide famous star and brought her a first Oscar nomination. But, as it was mentioned before, Olivia was not the only actress in her family; her sister was also involved in cinematography.
De Havilland received her second Oscar nomination, this time for Best Actress for ‘Hold Back the Dawn’, which put her in competition with Joan who was also a nominee. That night, the Oscar went to Olivia. When Joan intended to congratulate her sister, she just got a cold response. Olivia said at that time:
My relations with my sister had been strained for quite some time. I couldn’t change my attitude so easy.
The sisters managed to improve their relations only after their mother’s death in 1975. Now, Olivia lives in France, and this summer, the legendary actress has celebrated her 101st birthday. A couple of weeks before this big date, de Havilland was appointed Britain’s oldest Dame for her enormous contribution to drama and her great talent.
