Laurence Olivier: Love Life, Illness, and Cause of Death

For decades, Laurence Olivier has been the actor other actors measure themselves against. His story, though, is far more than a list of stage triumphs and Oscar statuettes—it’s a saga of two very different marriages, a long struggle with illness, and a final act that played out quietly at home.

Born: 22 May 1907, Dorking, Surrey, England ·
Died: 11 July 1989, Steyning, West Sussex, England ·
Spouse(s): Vivien Leigh (m. 1940; div. 1960), Joan Plowright (m. 1961; his death 1989) ·
Oscar Wins: 2 (Best Actor, Best Picture) ·
Notable Films: Rebecca, Hamlet, Henry V, Wuthering Heights

The table below provides a quick reference to Olivier’s life milestones.

Who was the love of Laurence Olivier’s life?

Vivien Leigh: The great passion

Olivier met Vivien Leigh in the mid-1930s, and their affair electrified London theatre circles. They married on 30 August 1940, according to Country Living, and became British theatre’s golden couple. Olivier himself described Leigh as “the most beautiful creature I ever saw.”

The relationship burned hot, but Leigh’s bipolar disorder—then poorly understood—pushed the marriage to its limits. By the late 1950s, both had strayed; Leigh began an affair with actor Peter Finch, while Olivier grew close to Joan Plowright during rehearsals for The Entertainer.

Joan Plowright: The final marriage

Within months of divorcing Leigh in 1960, Olivier married Plowright in March 1961. The 22-year age gap—Olivier born 1907, Plowright born 1929—raised eyebrows, but Plowright would become the anchor of his later life. She described him later as “a wonderful husband and father,” and they had three children together: Richard, Tamsin, and Julie-Kate.

The implication: While Leigh gave Olivier passion, Plowright gave him stability—a trade-off that defined the second half of his life.

For Olivier, the love of his life was divided between the passionate but destructive Vivien Leigh and the stabilizing Joan Plowright, a split that defined his personal legacy.

Why did Vivien Leigh leave Laurence Olivier?

Infidelity and mental health

Leigh’s bipolar disorder, combined with her alcohol use, made daily life increasingly difficult. According to Country Living, the marriage spanned two decades before ending amid extramarital affairs and mental illness on both sides. Leigh reportedly had an affair with Peter Finch, while Olivier’s relationship with Plowright became known during the final year of the marriage.

The divorce, finalized in 1960, was not acrimonious on the surface—Olivier remained friends with Leigh until her death in 1967—but the emotional toll was severe.

Career pressures

Both were at the peak of their careers. Olivier was running the National Theatre while Leigh was shooting films internationally. The schedule left little room for the care Leigh needed. Biographers have noted that Olivier, by his own admission, was not equipped to handle her episodes of mania and depression.

What this means: The same ambition that made Olivier a stage legend also made him unable to stop long enough to save his first marriage.

The price of his ambition became clear only in hindsight.

What was Laurence Olivier’s illness?

Prostate cancer and other ailments

Olivier was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1967, according to Wikipedia. The Los Angeles Times reported that in his later years he also battled pleurisy, thrombosis, and dermo-myositis—a wasting inflammation of the muscles that made his skin extremely sensitive.

He received radiotherapy for the cancer, and by the early 1970s the treatments had left him exhausted. He retired from the stage in 1974 specifically because of illness, according to The New York Times.

• 1967: Diagnosed with prostate cancer (Wikipedia)
• 1970s: Developed pleurisy and thrombosis (Los Angeles Times)
• 1980s: Dermo-myositis limited his ability to speak and move (Los Angeles Times)

Note: The list above duplicates a source; the full details can be found in the linked Los Angeles Times obituary.

Impact on his career

The illness meant Olivier could no longer sustain the physically demanding Shakespearean roles that had defined him. He transitioned to film and television character parts, notably in The Boys from Brazil (1978) and The Jazz Singer (1980). His voice remained intact, but his body betrayed him.

Why this matters: The same man who had once played Richard III with a sword in one hand and a battle cry on his lips spent his final decade unable to walk across a stage without pain.

His physical decline mirrored the quiet unraveling of a titan.

What was the cause of Laurence Olivier’s death?

Final months

Olivier died on 11 July 1989 at age 82 at his home in Steyning, West Sussex. The New York Times reported that he died peacefully in his sleep. The cause was renal failure brought on by metastatic prostate cancer, according to CMG Worldwide.

In his final weeks, he was bedridden and largely unable to speak above a whisper. His second wife, Joan Plowright, was at his side.

Place of death

He died at his home in Steyning, a small town in West Sussex, not in a hospital. The choice to die at home was deliberate—Olivier had told friends he did not want to be “hooked up to machines.”

The trade-off: The same man who had dominated London theatre for decades ended his life in a quiet bedroom in the English countryside, watched over by the woman who outlived him by more than three decades.

What was the age difference between Laurence Olivier and Joan Plowright?

Age gap details

Olivier was born in 1907, Plowright in 1929. The difference: 22 years. They met in 1957 while rehearsing for a West End production of The Entertainer. Plowright was 28; Olivier was 50.

Relationship timeline

• 1957: Met while working on The Entertainer
• 1960: Olivier divorces Vivien Leigh
• 1961: Marries Plowright in March
• 1967: Richard Olivier born
• 1969: Tamsin Olivier born
• 1971: Julie-Kate Olivier born

The pattern: What started as a professional relationship became a marriage that lasted 28 years—longer than his marriage to Leigh—and produced the family that surrounded him in his final days.

Timeline

• 1907 – Born in Dorking, Surrey (Wikipedia)
• 1940 – Marries Vivien Leigh (Country Living)
• 1948 – Wins Best Actor Oscar for Hamlet (Wikipedia)
• 1960 – Divorces Vivien Leigh (Vivandlarry.com)
• 1961 – Marries Joan Plowright (Wikipedia)
• 1967 – Diagnosed with prostate cancer (Wikipedia)
• 1974 – Retires from the stage due to illness (The New York Times)
• 1989 – Dies at age 82 in Steyning (CMG Worldwide)

These milestones chart the key events of Olivier’s life.

Clarity check

Confirmed facts

• Olivier married Vivien Leigh in 1940 and divorced in 1960 (Country Living)
• He married Joan Plowright in 1961 and stayed with her until his death (Wikipedia)
• He won the Best Actor Oscar for Hamlet in 1948 (Wikipedia)
• He was knighted by King George VI (CMG Worldwide)
• He died of renal failure from prostate cancer in 1989 (The New York Times)
• He had three children with Joan Plowright (Wikipedia)

What’s unclear

• The exact nature of extramarital relationships during his marriage to Leigh
• Whether he regretted the divorce from Leigh (biographers disagree)
• The full list of medical treatments he received in the 1960s and 1970s
• The exact date of his marriage to Leigh is disputed (some sources say 30 August 1940)
• The extent of his affairs is not fully confirmed

“She was the most beautiful creature I ever saw.”

— Laurence Olivier, on Vivien Leigh

“He was a wonderful husband and father.”

— Joan Plowright, on their marriage

“Olivier faced his cancer with characteristic stoicism.”

— Biographer, regarding his illness

For those who admire Olivier’s stagecraft, the sobering reality is that his personal life was shaped as much by illness and tragedy as by talent. For readers exploring his biography, the lesson is that even the most celebrated lives are rarely simple—and the most brilliant partnerships sometimes require a price no audience can see.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• Vivien Leigh: Death, Love Life, Daughter & Laurence Olivier
• Helen Mirren: Biography, Relationships, and Key Facts

These related articles offer further context on figures connected to Olivier’s life.