Actress Olivia de Havilland dies at 104


Olivia de Havilland, who enjoyed an acting career that spanned more than five decades, died Sunday at her residence in Paris, her publicist confirmed to CNN. She was 104.
BBC describes de Havilland as one of the last remaining stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, and she was also the last surviving star of 1939's Gone with the Wind, which netted her an Oscar nomination. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1946 for her role in To Each His Own and then another in 1949 for The Heiress.
Offscreen, de Havilland was known for taking on Hollywood's powerful studios, who at that time had complete control over their stars. In 1943, she took Warner Brothers to court after the studio lengthened her original contract as a penalty for turning down roles. The California Supreme Court ruled in her favor, and actors subsequently had more say over their careers. Read more at BBC and CNN.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
The papal conclave's 'banned' cardinal
Under the Radar Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu fought for right to vote for the next pope, despite being convicted of embezzlement and stripped of privileges
By Genevieve Bates
-
Millions mourn as Vatican prepares for transition
Feature Pope Francis, the pontiff who challenged tradition, leaves the Catholic Church at a crossroad to choose his successor
By The Week US
-
A 'meltdown' at Hegseth's Pentagon
Feature The Defense Secretary is fighting to keep his job amid leaked Signal chats and staff turmoil
By The Week US
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans