10 Movie Roles That Seriously Screwed Up Actors

Acting alongside heavyweight talent like Marlon Brando is a huge ask for any actor, but Gone With the Wind starlet Vivian Leigh was more than up for the task when the opportunity presented itself in 1954 via a big screen adaptation of Tennesse Williams’ classic Broadway hit. A heavy drinker who struggled with fidelity to her fellow film star husband Laurence Olivier, Leigh was not entirely dissimilar to Blanche herself.

Having played the role onstage, she was well-prepared to fight director Elia Kazan’s initial objections to her approach toward the character. In fact, Kazan would later concede that Leigh’s was one of the finest performances he ever witnessed.

However, this success came at a great cost to the actor’s personal life, mental health, and wellbeing. Leigh briefly retired from acting after the film, taking a break to treat underlying mental health issues which had at this stage plagued her for years.

It may be impossible to tell what part the film played in taking a toll on Leigh’s mental health, but perhaps it’s telling that when Leigh suffered an episode on set years later, she was convinced she was still on the set of Kazan’s adaptation.