HOW SEX SAVED VIVIEN LEIGH
Globe|May 16, 2022
Secret story behind Gone with the Wind
HOW SEX SAVED VIVIEN LEIGH

Playing Scarlett O'Hara brought Leigh fame but it came at a great emotional cost

VIVIEN LEIGH played tough-as-nails survivor Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, but in real life, she was emotionally fragile and was crushed by the pressure of her career-making role.

Hysterical and buckling under the pressure of relentless production, the 25-year-old beauty began popping sedatives as she struggled to cope and nearly killed herself with an accidental overdose on the Hollywood set in 1938.

Vivien's alarmed lover, actor Laurence Olivier, 32, wrote, “How dare you take four pills like that!"

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.