Laurence Olivier once penned a heartfelt letter to his wife, Vivien Leigh, during one of her recurrent battles with tuberculosis, expressing his deep love and concern: “Please, please my angel, send me a word of what the doctor said, and if it is possible, ask him to send me a report… You’re the only person in the world who could make hideously selfish me love another more than I do myself.”
Vivien Leigh, known for her iconic roles as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind and Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire, was equally renowned off-screen for her struggle with physical and mental health issues. Despite her legendary status, she was tormented by bipolar disorder, which cast a shadow over her personal life. The men who loved her—her first husband Leigh Holman, her greatest love Laurence Olivier, and her last partner, John “Jack” Merivale—found themselves powerless in the face of her relentless battle.
Olivier, in particular, described his experience as trying to save someone drowning, only to risk being pulled under himself, according to Kendra Bean, author of Vivien Leigh: An Intimate Portrait. Despite their efforts, they were unable to prevent the toll her illness took on her, which ultimately led to her death at the age of 53 in 1967.
Vivien’s mental health struggles were likely compounded by a traumatic childhood marked by abandonment issues, exacerbating the genetic predisposition to bipolar disorder, as noted by Alan Strachan, author of Dark Star: A Biography of Vivien Leigh. Despite the love and support of those closest to her, Vivien’s battle with her inner demons remained a constant, tragic presence in her life.
At the age of six, Vivien Leigh’s idyllic childhood in India came to an abrupt end when she was sent to a cold convent in London, a traumatic event that marked the beginning of her lifelong struggle with abandonment. By 19, while studying at London’s Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Vivien married Leigh Holman and had a daughter, Suzanne. However, their marriage faltered when she met Laurence Olivier, with whom she shared a deep, all-consuming connection. As author Alan Strachan describes, their relationship was marked by “absolute, total absorption in each other—sexually, mentally.”
Despite their passionate relationship, Holman remained a steady presence in Vivien’s life, offering unwavering support and love. Strachan notes that Holman “never stopped loving her, and she totally trusted him.” Olivier, on the other hand, was both captivated and ultimately overwhelmed by Vivien’s intense nature. Their fiery bond, which fueled their 20-year marriage, eventually unraveled as her bipolar disorder, particularly during manic phases, intensified her desires beyond what Olivier could handle.
Their highly publicized split in 1953 came as a shock, especially as Vivien’s affair with her Elephant Walk co-star, Peter Finch, became known. During filming, Vivien suffered a severe breakdown and was replaced by Elizabeth Taylor. Her treatment in England was harrowing, including electroshock therapy and barbiturate-induced comas, as detailed by Kendra Bean, author of Vivien Leigh: An Intimate Portrait.
Vivien later found solace with actor Jack Merivale, who, unlike Olivier, had the patience and capacity to care for her. In her later years, Vivien was reportedly “much calmer,” thanks in part to Merivale’s devoted care. Yet, like the other men in her life, Merivale was drawn to both her talent and her fragility.
As Strachan poignantly observes, “The fairy godmother gave her every single blessing—beauty, money, charm, talent—but she was bipolar. There was a flaw in the perfection that fascinated people. There was a crack in the mirror.” This tragic flaw made Vivien Leigh not only a captivating actress but also a deeply complex figure whose struggles with mental illness cast a long shadow over her extraordinary life.
