---
name: "Olivia de Havilland"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/olivia-de-havilland"
fi1m_id: "olivia-de-havilland"
imdb_id: "nm0000014"
tmdb_id: 8725
wikidata_id: "Q95068"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "1 July 1916"
died: "26 July 2020"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 8
average_fi1m_score: 77
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 8
updated: "2026-09-20T01:48:45.060830+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Olivia de Havilland

## Identity

Olivia de Havilland

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/olivia-de-havilland
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** olivia-de-havilland
- **IMDb ID:** nm0000014
- **TMDB ID:** 8725
- **Wikidata ID:** Q95068
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivia_de_Havilland, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q95068, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000014/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8725

Actor. Born 1 July 1916 in Tokyo, Japan. Died 26 July 2020.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 1 July 1916, Tokyo, Japan
- **Died:** 26 July 2020
- **Active:** 1935–1949
- **Also known as:** Olivia Mary de Havilland, Livvie, Olivia De Havilland, Olivia DeHavilland, Олівія де Гевіленд, 올리비아 드 하빌랜드, الیویا دی هاویلند
- **Frequently works with:** [Basil Rathbone](https://film.one/person/basil-rathbone.md), [Errol Flynn](https://film.one/person/errol-flynn.md), [Henry Blanke](https://film.one/person/henry-blanke.md), [Michael Curtiz](https://film.one/person/michael-curtiz.md), [Ross Alexander](https://film.one/person/ross-alexander.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 2 Oscars (2 won · 3 nominated)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 77, as actor, over 8 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 75 (5), 1940s 81 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 84 to 81 across 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 6 of 8 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Romance 6, Drama 5, Adventure 2, History 2, Action 1, Comedy 1
- **Screen time:** 18 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $436m across 5 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivia_de_Havilland, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q95068, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000014/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8725

## Streaming the US now

- **Tubi:** [*The Adventures of Robin Hood*](https://film.one/film/the-adventures-of-robin-hood.md) (90)
- **HBO Max:** [*Gone with the Wind*](https://film.one/film/gone-with-the-wind.md) (74)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Olivia de Havilland

> Olivia de Havilland’s subtle playing could make a romantic pairing persuasive, but the demure parts restricted her. We value the move towards more demanding drama; her Melanie in *Gone with the Wind* is too easily crowded out.

In *Gone with the Wind* (1939), Olivia de Havilland’s Melanie Hamilton has to register beside Vivien Leigh’s Scarlett and Clark Gable’s Rhett Butler. Leigh dominates, and Gable has enough presence to keep their exchanges from becoming hers alone. De Havilland makes less impression in their company, as does Leslie Howard’s Ashley Wilkes. We were frustrated by Sidney Howard’s screenplay, which remains so attentive to Scarlett that the people around her can feel like support for her next bout of unhappiness. The film is worth the effort.

Her early adventure films placed her opposite Errol Flynn, often with Michael Curtiz directing. The romantic scenes benefited from her subtle playing and the rapport between the actors. *The Adventures of Robin Hood* (1938), in which she plays Maid Marian, is one of those pairings. The demure heroines suited that partnership, though repeated casting in such parts limited the work she was asked to do.

Gable’s comfort with the extravagance of *Gone with the Wind* helps make the romance persuasive when the writing labours, and de Havilland has no comparable effect. We would have liked Sidney Howard’s script to take more interest in Melanie. As it stands, she is not one of the film’s chief pleasures.

The move into dramatic parts in the 1940s matters more to our view of her than the early typecasting. *To Each His Own* (1946), as Josephine Norris, and *The Heiress* (1949), as Catherine Sloper, gave her more demanding work beyond the sweet heroine. In the latter, she makes a troubled, resilient woman convincing, which is a better use of her subtlety than another demure romantic part. Start with *The Heiress* if Melanie has left you unconvinced.

## Biography

Olivia de Havilland was a British-American actress whose career spanned from 1935 to 1988. She appeared in numerous feature films and is known for her performances as Melanie Hamilton in *Gone with the Wind* (1939), Maid Marian in *The Adventures of Robin Hood* (1938), and Catherine Sloper in *The Heiress* (1949).

Born in Tokyo to British parents, she moved with her mother and sister to California in 1919. She made her screen debut in the 1935 film *A Midsummer Night's Dream*. She often appeared opposite Errol Flynn in films including *Captain Blood* (1935).

De Havilland won Academy Awards for best actress for *To Each His Own* (1946) and *The Heiress* (1949). She died in Paris in 2020.

*Sources: theguardian.com, en.wikipedia.org, britannica.com, nytimes.com.*

## On Fi1m (8)

- *The Heiress* (1949), Fi1m 90, as Catherine Sloper — [page](https://film.one/film/the-heiress.md)
- *The Snake Pit* (1948), Fi1m 76, as Virginia Cunningham — [page](https://film.one/film/the-snake-pit.md)
- *Hold Back the Dawn* (1941), Fi1m 78, as Emmy Brown — [page](https://film.one/film/hold-back-the-dawn.md)
- *Gone with the Wind* (1939), Fi1m 74, as Melanie Hamilton — [page](https://film.one/film/gone-with-the-wind.md)
- *The Adventures of Robin Hood* (1938), Fi1m 90, as Maid Marian — [page](https://film.one/film/the-adventures-of-robin-hood.md)
- *Anthony Adverse* (1936), Fi1m 57, as Angela Guiseppe — [page](https://film.one/film/anthony-adverse.md)
- *A Midsummer Night's Dream* (1935), Fi1m 74, as Hermia — [page](https://film.one/film/a-midsummer-nights-dream.md)
- *Captain Blood* (1935), Fi1m 80, as Arabella Bishop — [page](https://film.one/film/captain-blood.md)

## Complete filmography (63)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Jacques Tati, tombé de la lune* (2021), Actor
- *Destins secrets d’étoiles - Grace, Jackie, Liz, Marilyn…* (2015), Actor
- *The Woman He Loved* (1988), as Aunt Bessie Merryman
- *Anastasia - The Mystery of Anna* (1986), series, as Dowager Empress Maria
- *North and South* (1985), series, as Mrs. Neal
- *The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana* (1982), as Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother
- *Murder Is Easy* (1982), as Honoria Waynflete
- *The Fifth Musketeer* (1979), as Anne d'Autriche
- *Roots: The Next Generations* (1979), series, as Mrs. Warner
- *The Swarm* (1978), as Maureen
- *The Love Boat* (1977), series, as Aunt Hilly
- *Airport '77* (1977), as Emily Livingston
- *Pope Joan* (1972), as Mother Superior
- *The Screaming Woman* (1972), as Laura Wynant
- *The Adventurers* (1970), as Deborah Hadley
- *Noon Wine* (1966), as Ellie Thompson
- *ABC Stage 67* (1966), series, as Ellie Thompson
- *Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte* (1964), as Miriam Deering
- *Lady in a Cage* (1964), as Mrs. Cornelia Hilyard
- *Light in the Piazza* (1962), as Meg Johnson
- *Libel* (1959), as Lady Margaret Anne Loddon
- *The Proud Rebel* (1958), as Linnett Moore
- *The Ambassador's Daughter* (1956), as Joan Fisk
- *Not as a Stranger* (1955), as Kristina Hedvigson / Kristina Marsh
- *That Lady* (1955), as Ana de Mendoza
- *My Cousin Rachel* (1952), as Rachel Ashley
- *The Heiress* (1949), as Catherine Sloper — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/film/the-heiress.md)
- *The Snake Pit* (1948), as Virginia Cunningham — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/the-snake-pit.md)
- *The Dark Mirror* (1946), as Terry Collins / Ruth Collins
- *The Well Groomed Bride* (1946), as Margie Dawson
- *Devotion* (1946), as Charlotte Brontë
- *To Each His Own* (1946), as Miss Josephine 'Jody' Norris
- *Government Girl* (1943), as Elizabeth 'Smokey' Allard
- *Princess O'Rourke* (1943), as Princess Maria
- *Stars on Horseback* (1943), Actor
- *In This Our Life* (1942), as Roy Timberlake
- *The Male Animal* (1942), as Ellen Turner
- *They Died with Their Boots On* (1941), as Elizabeth Bacon
- *Hold Back the Dawn* (1941), as Emmy Brown — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/hold-back-the-dawn.md)
- *The Strawberry Blonde* (1941), as Amy Lind
- *Santa Fe Trail* (1940), as Kit Carson Holliday
- *My Love Came Back* (1940), as Amelia Cornell
- *Gone with the Wind* (1939), as Melanie Hamilton — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/gone-with-the-wind.md)
- *The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex* (1939), as Lady Penelope Gray
- *Raffles* (1939), as Gwen
- *Dodge City* (1939), as Abbie Irving
- *Wings of the Navy* (1939), as Irene Dale
- *Hard to Get* (1938), as Margaret "Maggie" Richards
- *Four's a Crowd* (1938), as Lorri Dillingwell
- *Out Where the Stars Begin* (1938), as Serena Ferris (archive footage)
- *The Adventures of Robin Hood* (1938), as Maid Marian — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/film/the-adventures-of-robin-hood.md)
- *Gold Is Where You Find It* (1938), as Serena Ferris
- *The Great Garrick* (1937), as Germaine de la Corbe
- *It's Love I'm After* (1937), as Marcia West
- *A Day at Santa Anita* (1937), as Olivia de Havilland (uncredited)
- *Call It a Day* (1937), as Catherine 'Cath' Hilton
- *The Charge of the Light Brigade* (1936), as Elsa Campbell
- *Anthony Adverse* (1936), as Angela Guiseppe — Fi1m 57, [page](https://film.one/film/anthony-adverse.md)
- *The Making of a Great Motion Picture* (1936), Actor
- *Captain Blood* (1935), as Arabella Bishop — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/captain-blood.md)
- *A Midsummer Night's Dream* (1935), as Hermia — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/a-midsummer-nights-dream.md)
- *The Irish in Us* (1935), as Lucille Jackson
- *Alibi Ike* (1935), as Dolly Stevens

## Gallery

- ![Olivia de Havilland](https://film.one/media/person/103499/gallery-0b197dc311b8.jpg) Olivia de Havilland — Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Olivia_de_Havilland%2C_1948_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Auteur(s): Service presse propagande de l'EM des TFEO, editeur Imprimerie spéciale de Caravelle, imprimeur Date de production: 18–05–1947 Datation en siècle: 1è](https://film.one/media/person/103499/gallery-899921bbf672.jpg) Auteur(s): Service presse propagande de l'EM des TFEO, editeur Imprimerie spéciale de Caravelle, imprimeur Date de production: 18–05–1947 Datation en siècle: 1è — Service presse propagande de l'EM des TFEO, editeur, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/Caravelle_N%C2%B0_74%2C_2002.2123.74%2808%29.jpg/1280px-Caravelle_N%C2%B0_74%2C_2002.2123.74%2808%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Olivia de Havilland and Rossano Brazzi in the original screen trailer for Light in the Piazza, 1962 (2014)](https://film.one/media/person/103499/gallery-30d12bbd6089.jpg) Olivia de Havilland and Rossano Brazzi in the original screen trailer for Light in the Piazza, 1962 (2014) — MGM, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Light_in_the_Piazza_trailer.jpg/1280px-Light_in_the_Piazza_trailer.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Olivia de Havilland's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (2017)](https://film.one/media/person/103499/gallery-e1a5e1ddfcce.jpg) Olivia de Havilland's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (2017) — Caterpillar84, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Odh_star.jpg/1280px-Odh_star.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Olivia de Havilland](https://film.one/media/person/103499/gallery-52fbdd045cf3.jpg) Olivia de Havilland — Image via TMDB
- ![Olivia de Havilland](https://film.one/media/person/103499/gallery-5292672c2901.jpg) Olivia de Havilland — Image via TMDB
- ![Olivia de Havilland](https://film.one/media/person/103499/gallery-c7d188708129.jpg) Olivia de Havilland — Image via TMDB
- ![Olivia De Havilland, actress USA and husband Pierre Galante at Kastrup Airport CPH, Copenhagen 1957-08-13.](https://film.one/media/person/103499/gallery-c77a3ddc7f77.jpg) Olivia De Havilland, actress USA and husband Pierre Galante at Kastrup Airport CPH, Copenhagen 1957-08-13. — SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Olivia_De_Havilland.jpg/1280px-Olivia_De_Havilland.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Silver Gelatin Print. Preus Museum Collection (NMFF.005183.022) (2017)](https://film.one/media/person/103499/gallery-ce61b41d3b2d.jpg) Silver Gelatin Print. Preus Museum Collection (NMFF.005183.022) (2017) — Preus museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Olivia_De_Havilland_No._13.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Olivia de Havilland](https://film.one/media/person/103499/gallery-f5fc15aa3b45.jpg) Olivia de Havilland — Image via TMDB
- ![Olivia de Havilland](https://film.one/media/person/103499/gallery-d0ae845420d3.jpg) Olivia de Havilland — Image via TMDB
- ![Olivia de Havilland](https://film.one/media/person/103499/gallery-ca0a806aba2a.jpg) Olivia de Havilland — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 2 won, 3 nominated

- 1950: Best Actress (won), for *The Heiress*
- 1949: Best Actress (nominated), for *The Snake Pit*
- 1947: Best Actress (won), for *To Each His Own*
- 1942: Best Actress (nominated), for *Hold Back the Dawn*
- 1940: Best Supporting Actress (nominated), for *Gone with the Wind*

### Golden Globes — 1 won

- 1950: best actress (won), for *The Heiress*

### Other awards — 6 won

- Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire 2017: Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (won)
- Knight of the Legion of Honour 2010: Knight of the Legion of Honour (won)
- National Medal of Arts 2008: National Medal of Arts (won)
- honorary doctor of the University of Hertfordshire 1998: honorary doctor of the University of Hertfordshire (won)
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame 1960: star on Hollywood Walk of Fame (won)
- Volpi Cup for Best Actress 1949: Volpi Cup for Best Actress (won), for *The Snake Pit*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/olivia-de-havilland