The ultimate queen of the silver screen, a woman of such great beauty that she often saw her acting skills underestimated because of her looks, of such talent that she could literally become any of the characters she signed on to play and with the ability to communicate with the public (either via the stage or the big screen), in short Vivien Leigh, led a life so controversial and troubled that she could be easily called a tragic damsel, the likes of those she was so fond of portraying in front of an audience.

Vivien's early years very much resembled a princess' tale: she was born in India to wealthy parents but it wasn't until she was six that she finally moved to England. Because her mom and dad wanted her to have a proper education, she was sent to the 'Convent of the Sacred Heart' in Roehampton and, after she admitted she wanted to become an actress, she was enlisted for classes at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. By the time she graduated, Vivian (she didn't change her name until making the transition from the stage to the big screen) had already starred in various West End productions and was already a married woman. In 1932, she had met and become the wife of Herbert Leigh Holman, a barrister thirteen years her senior who, on the side, looked very much like Leslie Howard, Vivian's favorite actor. One year later, she gives birth to a baby girl, Suzanne, her only child.

With support from both her husband and her family, Vivian decides to give feature films a try. As they were casting for 'Things Are Looking Up', she applies for a minor part in it, under the name Vivien Leigh (after going initially for April Morn, but changing her mind at her agent's insistences). This is Vivien's breakthrough role and her performance (although consisting of only one line) was so appreciated that, next thing, she was already cast in another project, this time a play, 'The Mask of Virtue'. That same year, aside from slowly making a name for herself, Vivien meets the man who would change her life for good: Laurence Olivier. The two met after Laurence saw 'The Mask of Virtue' and went backstage to congratulate the young gorgeous star - from that moment on, a close friendship developed between them. But, as they were playing two lovers in the 1937 hit 'Fire Over England', Laurence and Vivien began carrying on an affair, despite the fact that both were married and with children, a situation that continued for many more years, due to the fact that none of their spouses were willing to give them a divorce.

Both actors were, by now, well established stars in the UK but fame in the United States was not yet achieved. Consequently, Laurence moved to LA and accepted the part of Heathcliff in 'Wuthering Heights'. Desperate to be with him, Vivien was also trying to find work on a project so that she could be close to her loved one. In a move that surprised everybody (including her agent) she turned down the part of Isabella in the same movie, saying that she could only play Kathy, the lover of Heathcliff. At that point, the industry considered her a lost cause for letting her pride get the best of her. Actually, no one believed that she could find a better part than the one she had just refused, but this beauty with piercing gaze and charming smile had a big surprise for everyone concerned: she got the part of Scarlett O'Hara in 'Gone With the Wind'!

The movie brought her almost instant attention and fame, but trouble was only beginning to show. Unbeknownst to anyone, not even by the man who was now her husband, Laurence Olivier, Vivien was suffering in silence from bipolar disorder (manic depression), a condition that affected not only her personal life but also her work. While on stage, she managed to control her mood swings but, on the set, she became increasingly difficult to work with. She used to have long periods of depression, preceded in most cases by periods of exaltation and hyperactivity. And then she would snap. Laurence recalls in his autobiography that Vivien made it a habit out of screaming at him in front of everybody and even of attacking him physically, after which she would collapse and erase from her mind all memory of the incident.

Despite her fragile state of mind, Vivien continued to work, as hard or even harder than any actress of her time. She still managed to captivate large audiences and to get the critics to praise her for her breathtaking performances, a thing that became more and more obvious while touring with Olivier in Australia and New Zealand. By the time she agreed to play the part of Blanche DuBois in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' (her second Oscar-winning part, after that of Scarlett) in 1951, Vivien was, according to Laurence, a wreck. The episodes had become more and more intense and he could no longer foresee when they would occur, which only made things more difficult.

One thing that Laurence managed to keep hidden from the media and their co-workers was that, while Vivien's episodes lasted, she also displayed signs of nymphomania, a situation that, unfortunately, he could no longer keep a secret once she got involved with one of her co-stars, Peter Finch from 'Elephant Walk'. However, this did not destroy her marriage altogether since Olivier took her back when she admitted to the infidelity. But it did weaken the bond they had shared for so many years... Therefore, in 1958, the two former spouses and on-screen partners got a divorce and Vivien began a relationship with yet another co-star, Jack Merivale.

Nine years later and after recurring depression spells that often kept her away from her fans for months in a row, Vivien became ill with tuberculosis. She was found dead on the floor of her room that same year, after she tried aimlessly to reach the bathroom as her lungs filled with fluid. Her lover of that time, Merivale, took care of all the funeral arrangements and had her ashes scattered over the lake of her native town, Tickerage Mill, at Laurence Olivier's suggestions.

Despite a very long career in the spotlight, Vivien Leigh's resume only includes 19 works. At one point during her life, she explained this by saying that it was her beauty that prevented her from getting more varied parts. Nevertheless, quantity is never the standard when it comes to judging an actor and neither should it be so when it comes to the ultimate royal actress (as she is often dubbed by critics), Vivien Leigh. She led a tragic life and had an even more tragic ending. But she fought really hard to keep the appearances, to never let the mask of normalcy fall off and to deliver that which the public was asking for: real performances and not merely 'impersonations'. She was, in turn, critiqued and praised, spat at and kissed on both her cheeks. Shocking and calming. Feminine and incredibly vulgar.

Truth is, Vivien Leigh was made entirely of contrasts - there was no middle way with her, it was either everything or nothing. So, to honor her on what today would have been her birthday, maybe we should do as she would have liked us to: take her (flaws and imperfections included) or simply leave her alone. Have your say now: IN or OUT for Lady Olivier Vivien Leigh?

Filmography:

• 'Ship of Fools' (1965)

• 'The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone' (1961)

• 'The Deep Blue Sea' (1955)

• 'A Streetcar Named Desire' (1951)

• 'Anna Karenina' (1948)

• 'Caesar and Cleopatra' (1945)

• 'That Hamilton Woman' (1941)

• 'Waterloo Bridge' (1940)

• '21 Days' (1940)

• 'Gone with the Wind' (1939)

• 'Sidewalks of London' (1938)

• 'A Yank at Oxford' (1938)

• 'Storm in a Teacup' (1937)

• 'Dark Journey' (1937)

• 'Fire Over England' (1937)

• 'The Village Squire' (1935)

• 'Gentlemen's Agreement' (1935)

• 'Look Up and Laugh' (1935)

• 'Things Are Looking Up' (1935)

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