Iconic Couple
Apart from his acting, Laurence was also known for his tumultuous marriage to fellow Hollywood legend Vivien Leigh. They met in 1936 and soon began an affair, with Laurence later stating, “I couldn’t help myself with Vivien.” After divorcing his first wife Jill, Laurence and Vivien married in 1940, and starred in many films together. Although they worked well on screen, the same couldn’t be said at home. Both had multiple affairs during their marriage and by 1960 it was over. Although Laurence remarried, to actress Joan Plowright, the bond between the two was strong and they regularly wrote letters to each other. When Vivien died in 1967 Laurence rushed from his hospital bed, where he was receiving treatment for prostate cancer, to pay his respects to his late love. He died himself of kidney failure in 1989 after years of illness.
“Surely we have always acted; it is an instinct inherent in all of us. Some of us are better at it than others, but we all do it.”
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