Classic Movie Goddess Of The Month - Olivia de Havilland Part 1 (Facts and Trivia)

Here are some interesting facts about Olivia:

Date of Birth : July 1, 1916 Tokyo, Japan

Nickname: Livvie (which I just love)

Height: 5'4"

Older sister of actress Joan Fontaine.



Married and divorced twice.

Relations between de Havilland and younger sister Joan Fontaine were never all that strong and worsened in 1941, when both were nominated for 'Best Actress' Oscar awards. Their mutual dislike and jealousy escalated into an all-out feud after Fontaine won for Suspicion (1941). Despite the fact that de Havilland went on to win two Academy Awards of her own, they remained permanently estranged.

Justly famous for her court victory against Warner Brothers in the mid 1940s (many others had sued Warners but failed), which stopped Warners from adding suspension periods to actors' contracts and therefore meant more freedom for actors in Hollywood. It became known as the "de Havilland decision".


Has made Paris her home since the mid 1950s.

Showed flair as a writer when "Every Fenchman Has One," a lighthearted autobiographical account of her attempts at adapting to French life, was published in 1962.


At the age of 82, was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Hertfordshire, England.


Ms. de Havilland lives a peaceful retirement at her home on Rue Benouville, in Paris. She spends time teaching Sunday School to children at a local church.

 
She had two children (one from each of her marriages): Benjamin (1949-1991), who became a mathematician, and Gisele (b. 1956), who followed in her father's footsteps by becoming a journalist.

She and Joan Fontaine are the first sisters to win Oscars and the first ones to be Oscar-nominated in the same year.