'Gone with the Wind' star Olivia de Havilland dies peacefully in her sleep at age 104
British-American actress Dame Olivia de Havilland has died at age 104.
Best known for her role as Melanie Hamilton in 'Gone with the Wind' (1939), the actress died peacefully in her sleep at her Paris, France residence on Saturday, July 25, Entertainment Weekly reported.
The Hollywood veteran went on to win two Academy Awards for Best Actress for her performances 'To Each His Own' (1946) and 'The Heiress' (1949) respectively. Olivia, who is also the sister of actress Joan Fontaine, led a full life and a career that outshines many in the entertainment industry to this day. In 2018, Olivia made headlines after taking legal action against FX and Ryan Murphy, who she said never sought her permission to use her name or depict her in his drama 'Feud: Bette & Joan'
Olivia's character in the eight-episode series about Bette Davis and Joan Crawford was played by actress Catherine Zeta-Jones. Nonetheless, the lawsuit was later dismissed. Meanwhile, Olivia allegedly had her own familial feud with sister Joan, who was born Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland. "You can divorce your sister as well as your husbands," Joan said of Olivia while promoting her 1978 memoir, No Bed of Roses. "I don't see her at all and I don't intend to."
"I got married first, got an Academy Award first, had a child first," she added. "If I die, she’ll be furious, because again I'll have got there first!" In 2011, Olivia attended the 36th Cesar Awards - also known as the French Oscars - at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.
Spanning a staggering six decades, Olivia's illustrious acting career continued into the late eighties. She even played Queen Elizabeth in the American TV film The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana in 1982.
The Hollywood titan was married to screenwriter Marcus Goodrich from 1946 to 1953 and they had a son named Benjamin Goodrich. In 1955, Olivia married Pierre Galante, who was executive editor for the French journal Paris Match. The couple had a daughter Gisèle Galante. Olivia's son Benjamin suffered from Hodgkin's disease and died at the age of 42 of heart disease.