Hollywood legend Olivia de Havilland died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, July 26, her rep confirms to Us Weekly. She was 104.
The silver screen starlet was born in Tokyo to English professor Walter de Havilland and actress Lilian Fontaine. Olivia’s younger sister was actress Joan Fontaine, who was known for her roles in Rebecca (1940) and Suspicion (1941).
Olivia’s first movie role was in the 1934 film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She went on to appear in 49 feature films becoming one of the most well-known stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema.
She is best known for her portrayal of Melanie Hamilton in the classic 1939 film Gone with the Wind. Olivia’s performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The Hollywood legend is also recognized for costarring with Errol Flynn in adventure films such as Captain Blood (1935) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).
Olivia received five Academy Award nominations over the course of her career, including two Best Actress wins for To Each His Own in 1947 and The Heiress in 1950.
In her later years, Olivia continued to rack up the accolades. George W. Bush presented her with the National Medal of Arts in 2008. Nine years later, she was made a dame by Queen Elizabeth II.
Olivia was embroiled in a legal dispute in 2017 when she claimed her likeness was illegally used in the 2017 FX miniseries Feud: Bette and Joan. Catherine Zeta-Jones played a younger Olivia in the show, which centered on the famous feud between Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.
The California Court of Appeal of the Second District ruled against the defamation suit. The Dark Mirror star attempted to bring her case before the Supreme Court but the high court declined to hear it in 2018.
Olivia was married to screenwriter Marcus Goodrich from 1946 to 1953. The former couple share son Benjamin Goodrich, who died in 1991. She later was married to journalist Pierre Galante from 1955 to 1979. Olivia is survived by their daughter, Gisèle Galante.
