Alicia Rhett facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alicia Rhett
Rhett in Gone with the Wind (1939)
Born	(1915-02-01)February 1, 1915 Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
Died	January 3, 2014(2014-01-03) (aged 98) Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, portrait painter
Years active	1937–1941

Mary Alicia Rhett (born February 1, 1915 – died January 3, 2014) was an American actress and artist. She is most famous for playing India Wilkes in the classic 1939 movie Gone with the Wind. When she passed away, Alicia Rhett was one of the oldest living actors from that famous film.

Early Life and Acting Start

Alicia Rhett was born in Savannah, Georgia, in 1915. Her mother, Isobel Murdoch, came from Liverpool, England. Her father, Edmund M. Rhett, was an American army officer. After her father died during World War I, Alicia and her mother moved to Charleston, South Carolina.

In Charleston, Alicia began acting in plays. A newspaper article from 1939 mentioned that the Rhett family was very well-known in the South, especially around Charleston. This is why the author Margaret Mitchell chose the name "Rhett" for a character in her book. Alicia Rhett finished high school at Memminger High School in Charleston.

Becoming a Star in Gone with the Wind

In 1936, a Hollywood director named George Cukor saw Alicia Rhett perform in a play. He was looking for actors for a big new movie. The movie was Gone with the Wind, based on Margaret Mitchell's popular book.

Alicia first tried out for the part of Melanie Hamilton. But that role went to another actress, Olivia de Havilland. In March 1937, director Cukor offered Alicia the role of India Wilkes. India was the sister of the character Ashley Wilkes.

After Gone with the Wind became a huge success, Alicia Rhett decided to leave Hollywood. She returned to South Carolina in 1941. She stopped making movies because she felt there weren't enough good roles for her. Later, she helped other actors with their accents. She also worked as a radio announcer at station WTMA in Charleston.

Talented Portrait Painter

Even before she acted in Gone with the Wind, Alicia Rhett was a skilled artist. She loved to sketch and paint portraits. While filming the movie, she often drew pictures of her fellow actors between scenes.

Later, she started painting portraits of American soldiers in the Charleston area. She painted famous people like Admiral Louis Emil Denfeld. Her portrait of librarian Estellene P. Walker is shown in the South Carolina State Library.

Interestingly, Alicia Rhett was asked to paint a portrait of a young woman named Alexandra Braid. This woman later became Alexandra Ripley, who wrote Scarlett (1991). This book was a sequel to Gone with the Wind. Alicia Rhett also drew pictures for several books, including South Carolina Indians (1965).

Later Life and Passing

Alicia Rhett passed away on January 3, 2014, at the age of 98. She died of natural causes in Charleston, South Carolina, where she had lived for many years.

In news reports about her death, Alicia Rhett was called "the oldest living actor from Gone With the Wind". She was 17 months older than Dame Olivia de Havilland. Alicia Rhett was buried next to her parents at St. Philip's Episcopal Church Cemetery in Charleston. Her gravestone says "Daughter of Edmund M. and Isobel M. Rhett - Portraitist".

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Alicia Rhett para niños