Two times Oscar winner Olivia de Havilland breathed her last at the age of 104. The actress, known for her role as Melanie Hamilton Wilkes in Gone With the Wind, passed away at her residence in Paris on Sunday. She was one of the last remaining stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood. In a career that spanned over 50 years, Olivia was played a key role in taking down Hollywood's studio system and emphasized on giving actors better contracts.
Born in Tokyo in 1916, Olivia made her breakthrough in Captain Blood opposite Errol Flynn. She then featured in the iconic adaptation of Margaret Mitchell's novel, Gone with the Wind. However, she lost the Best Supporting Actress Oscar to Hattie McDaniel but did win the Best Actress Oscar for To Each His Own in 1946 and then another one for The Heiress in 1949. She continued to act in films till the late '80s and also won a Golden Globe for Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna in 1986.
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Olivia, off the screen, took on the studios when they had complete control over the stars. In 1943, he took Warner Brothers to the court when it added time to her original contract as a penalty for turning down roles. The California Supreme Court gave a decision in her favour and this became popular by the name of the De Havilland Law. It eventually loosened the grip Hollywood studios had on their actors.
On the other hand, Olivia's troubled relationship with her sister Joan Fontaine was a known fact. The duo, reportedly, never shared a great relationship since childhood and the differences increased when they were nominated for Best Actress in 1942 and Fontaine ended up winning it.
(Source: CNN)
