Celebrating her 100th birthday (1 July), Olivia de Havilland is the last surviving superstar from Hollywood's Golden Age. The two-time Oscar-winning actress was renowned for her genteel manners on-screen, but off-screen she had the chutzpah to take on one of the largest studios of the day, in a legal battle that changed how Hollywood operated forever.

Born in Tokyo in 1916 to British parents, her family moved to California while she was still a child. De Havilland demonstrated a flair for drama early on, appearing as Puck in the Saratoga Community Theatre production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. The performance led to her being cast in the Warner Bros 1935 film adaptation of Shakespeare's play, with De Havilland playing Hermia. It was the launchpad for an illustrious career in Hollywood that spawned a legendary and prolific onscreen pairing with Errol Flynn.

Last edited by DollyLongstaff (7/02/2016 8:01 am)