Born to a British family in Tokyo, Joan Fontaine’s success can partially be attributed to her vicious competition with her sister, Olivia. When Olivia took up acting, Joan would attempt to follow in her footsteps. Their mother, who favored Olivia, would refuse Joan the name of de Havilland, which resulted in her taking her step-father’s last name, Fontaine.
The two would compete for years, with both actresses even being nominated for Best Actress in 1942. Fontaine would ultimately earn the award for her work in Hitchcock’s Suspicion.
She continued to star in many popular films, including Letter From an Unknown Woman, Jane Eyre, and Rebecca.
Though both sisters largely refused to comment on their rivalry in a 1978 interview, Joan is quoted as saying, “I married first, won the Oscar before Olivia did, and if I die first, she’ll undoubtedly be livid because I beat her to it!”