Margaret Brooke Sullavan, a renowned actress, was born in Norfolk, Virginia to a wealthy family, with her father being Cornelius Hancock Sullavan, a successful stockbroker, and her mother being Garland Council Sullavan, a prominent heiress. Despite struggling with muscle weakness during her childhood, Sullavan persevered and went on to become a rebellious teenager at elite private schools.
Her early career in the performing arts began when she joined the University Players at Harvard, where she honed her craft. Sullavan made her Broadway debut in 1926 with the production of "Hello, Lola." Her subsequent marriage to Henry Fonda on Christmas Day in 1931, however, was short-lived, lasting only 15 months.
Sullavan's subsequent marriages to director William Wyler and agent Leland Hayward were also marked by turmoil. Tragedy struck when two of her three children, Bridget and Bill, struggled with mental health issues and ultimately took their own lives. The collapse of her family life was cited by friends as a contributing factor to her eventual breakdown.
As her condition worsened over time, Sullavan was found unconscious in a hotel room due to barbiturate poisoning. The county coroner ultimately ruled her death accidental.
