Olivia De Havilland

Olivia de Havilland – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Explore the rich life and legacy of Olivia de Havilland — her journey from Tokyo-born child to Hollywood legend, her legal battle that reshaped studio contracts, her most memorable roles, and her timeless quotes that still inspire today.

Introduction

Olivia Mary de Havilland (July 1, 1916 – July 26, 2020) was a luminous star of Hollywood’s Golden Age, an actress of extraordinary range, and a woman of strong convictions. Best known for her performances in Gone With the Wind, The Heiress, The Snake Pit, and many others, she not only earned two Academy Awards but also left an indelible mark on the film industry. In her later years, she came to be admired not just for her artistry, but also for her courage in challenging Hollywood’s studio system. As the last surviving major star from classic Hollywood before her death at 104, her life remains a bridge between eras.

This article delves into her formative years, her rise to stardom, her activism, her legacy, and the wisdom she left through her quotes.

Early Life and Family

Olivia de Havilland was born on July 1, 1916, in Tokyo, Japan, to British parents Lilian Augusta (née Ruse) and Walter Augustus de Havilland.

Olivia had a younger sister, Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (later Joan Fontaine), born in 1917 — she too became an acclaimed actress.

In 1919, the family relocated to England, and shortly thereafter the parents separated. Olivia and Joan, along with their mother, moved to California, settling in Saratoga, south of San Francisco.

Throughout her life, Olivia remained connected to her British roots, and in later years she also became a French citizen (in 1955).

Youth and Education

Growing up in California, she attended schools in the Bay Area. While her formal schooling was not especially dramatic, she developed a love for literature, languages, and performance.

A turning moment came when she was noticed in a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Though not widely known at the time, this led to interest from Hollywood.

Her bilingual and bicultural upbringing—British by descent, American by residence, later French by naturalization—gave her a cosmopolitan sensibility that she carried through her life.

Career and Achievements

Early Film Roles and Stardom

Olivia made her screen debut in the mid-1930s. One of her first key films was Captain Blood (1935), opposite Errol Flynn, which established their on-screen chemistry and marked her rise to stardom. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Dodge City (1939), Santa Fe Trail (1940), They Died with Their Boots On (1941), and others.

Her role as Melanie Hamilton in Gone With the Wind (1939) is among her most enduring. Though she often said she was not completely satisfied with its script, she acknowledged the film’s lasting appeal: “It will go on forever…”

In that film she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Conflict with the Studio System & “De Havilland Law”

One of the turning moments of her career was her legal challenge against Warner Bros. In the era of studio contracts, actors were bound by lengthy contracts that allowed studios to extend them during suspension periods, effectively lengthening total control over the performer.

Olivia de Havilland sued Warner Bros. over this practice, and in 1944 the California Court of Appeal ruled in her favor, essentially holding that suspension periods could not be used to extend the term of an actor’s contract beyond seven calendar years. This ruling is often called the “De Havilland Law,” and it weakened the studios’ absolute control over their contracted stars.

Because of her lawsuit, she was blacklisted by Warner Bros. for a time, but she re-emerged with strong roles and critical acclaim.

Mid-Late Career & Acclaimed Performances

After winning her legal battle, de Havilland’s career entered a new phase.

• To Each His Own (1946): She won the Academy Award for Best Actress.

• The Snake Pit (1948): A bold role in a drama about mental illness, earning praise and accolades, including a New York Film Critics Award.

• The Heiress (1949): She took on a complex, emotionally demanding role as Catherine Sloper, in a film adaptation of Henry James’s Washington Square. That role earned her a second Oscar.

Beyond these, she appeared in a wide variety of genres—romance, drama, psychological thrillers (The Dark Mirror), suspense, and character-driven films like Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte.

In the 1950s she also made forays into theater, achieving a personal ambition to perform Shakespeare (notably Romeo and Juliet) and other stage works.

Her last acting credit was in The Woman He Loved (1988).

Honors and Later Years

In her later life, de Havilland continued to be honored for both her artistry and her integrity:

• In 1998 she participated in Gone With the Wind retrospectives and film events.

• In 2008, at age 92, she received the National Medal of Arts in the United States.

• In June 2017, she was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for services to drama, becoming the oldest woman ever to receive that honor.

• She lived her final decades in Paris, where she died on July 26, 2020, in her sleep, at the age of 104.

• Her funeral was held at the American Cathedral in Paris, and her ashes were placed temporarily at the columbarium of Père-Lachaise before intended transfer to Guernsey.

By the time of her death, she was the oldest living Academy Award winner and widely considered the last surviving major actor from Hollywood’s classical era.

Historical Milestones & Context

Olivia de Havilland’s life and career spanned a pivotal era in cinematic history. She emerged in the mid-1930s, when the studio system ruled Hollywood; she witnessed its decline, the rise of television, and major shifts in the nature of film production.

Her legal victory over Warner Bros. was not just a personal triumph — it weakened studios’ absolute contract power and helped usher in a more flexible environment for actors and creators.

In the post-war and Cold War years, she maintained her commitment to artistic integrity, turning down roles she felt were superficial and seeking depth.

Her longevity allowed her to see Hollywood’s transformation across decades — from the Golden Age through the New Hollywood era to the blockbuster era and beyond. She remained sharp, engaged, and vocal even into her late life, famously suing over her portrayal in the FX series Feud: Bette & Joan (albeit unsuccessfully) to protect her reputation.

Legacy and Influence

Olivia de Havilland’s legacy is multifaceted:

1. Artistic excellence: Her performances in The Heiress, The Snake Pit, and To Each His Own remain benchmarks. She showed that depth, nuance, and emotional truth could thrive even under studio constraints.

2. Power and independence: Her legal battle set precedent, giving actors more leverage and contributing to the gradual erosion of the old studio dominance.

3. Longevity and dignity: She lived to 104, preserving her dignity, grace, and reputation to the end, and remained proud of her career and principles.

4. Pioneering path for women: In a male-dominated system, she asserted control over her trajectory—and in doing so inspired future generations of actresses to demand better roles, fairer contracts, and respect.

5. Cultural memory: As the last of her generation, she embodied a living connection to Hollywood’s past. Her life became a subject of retrospectives, documentaries, and renewed interest long after her active career ended.

Her resilience, intellectual curiosity, and moral clarity ensured that she would not just be a face on film, but a touchstone in conversations about artists’ rights, women in Hollywood, and the responsibilities of fame.

Personality and Talents

Olivia de Havilland was known for her elegance, intellect, and a quiet strength. She was not one to court scandal; rather, she preferred subtle dignity and let her work speak for itself.

She had a deep love of languages—she often expressed her fondness for French words and once joked that before learning its meaning she thought saucisson was the perfect name for a child.

She was deeply religious and retained a strong spiritual life, regularly reading scripture and serving as a lector in the American Cathedral in Paris.

Her relationships—romantic, familial, professional—were conducted with discretion and introspection. She had a famously strained relationship with her sister Joan Fontaine (they reportedly became estranged in mid-life) and chose not to engage public drama over it.

She exercised a clear self-awareness: in later interviews she spoke about what she wanted and did not want from roles, and about her own standards.

She also displayed wit. A favorite quip is:

“One must take what comes, with laughter.”

Famous Quotes of Olivia de Havilland

Below is a selection of Olivia de Havilland’s most memorable sayings. Each offers insight into her artistry, life perspective, or character.

• “One must take what comes, with laughter.”

• “There certainly is such a thing as screen chemistry, although I don't believe you find it frequently.”

• “I was just a mini-star when we did Gone With the Wind.”

• “I am attracted by almost any French word — written or spoken.”

• “I'm all for typewriters, with instant carbon copies, and seeing films in cinemas.”

• “I had a very big crush on Errol Flynn during Captain Blood. … I’m not going to regret that; it could have ruined my life.”

• “I have the idea that anyone who has ever heard my name has the distinct impression that I was put under the sod years ago just before they buried Lillian Russell.”

• “My sister has decided to become an actress too. It has ruined the close-knittedness of our family life.”

These quotes reflect her wit, humility, and a certain ironic detachment—qualities that complemented the depth she brought to her roles.

Lessons from Olivia de Havilland

1. Artistic integrity matters more than fame. She chose roles for depth rather than glamour and refused to be a mere “starlet.”

2. Stand up for your rights. Her lawsuit against Warner Bros. showed she would not meekly accept unfair contracts, and in doing so she changed Hollywood practice.

3. Longevity is built on values. She aged with grace and maintained a reputation for dignity, not scandal.

4. Stay curious. Her love of languages, literature, and spiritual reflection kept her mind active and alive.

5. Balance ambition and humility. She achieved great heights yet remained self-aware and grounded.

Conclusion

Olivia de Havilland’s life is a testament to how talent, principle, and perseverance can shape enduring legacy. From Tokyo to Hollywood to Paris, from ingénue roles to award-winning performances, from legal challenger to beloved icon — she lived fully. Her artistry continues to inspire actors; her courage continues to inspire advocates for creative rights; and her words continue to resonate.

May her quotes brighten your day, and her values ignite your ambitions. Explore more of her films, interviews, and writings — and carry forward the spirit with which she made her mark.

Want more? I can also compile her full filmography, major interviews, or a deeper dive into her legal battle if you like.