How Audrey Hepburn Became a Hollywood Legend and Humanitarian
Born in 1929 in Ixelles, Belgium, Audrey Hepburn became one of the most celebrated actresses and fashion icons of the 20th century. During Hollywood’s Golden Age, she captivated audiences in films like Roman Holiday, which earned her an Academy Award, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, securing her place among cinema’s most recognizable stars.
But Hepburn’s legacy extends far beyond the screen. In her later years, she devoted herself to humanitarian work, serving as a passionate advocate for children.
Audrey Hepburn Loved to Dance
While a majority of her fans regard her as an actress and fashion icon, Audrey Hepburn first threw herself into the art of ballet. During her time at the Arnhem Conservatory, she became infatuated with that style of dance, continuing her training under Winja Marova in Arnhem, a city in the Netherlands.
Under Marova's tutelage, she became a star pupil, but due to the Second World War, Hepburn did little more with her dance skills than performing on the streets. She hoped to raise money for the Dutch Resistance - it's even rumored she participated!
She Received a Scholarship in England
After World War II, Hepburn moved to Amsterdam with her mother and siblings. There, she continued to study ballet under Sonia Gaskell, a major name in the Dutch Ballet. Later that year, she accepted a dance scholarship with Dance Rambert to study in London.
Unfortunately for the young dancer, Rambert told her she'd never become a "prima ballerina," due to her height and weight; the war had made her malnourished and overly thin. As such, Hepburn decided to leave ballet behind her and focus on acting.
She Was Big in the UK Theater Scene
After leaving ballet behind her, Hepburn refocused her efforts on acting. While her mother was working random jobs to support the family, she landed theater gigs. Her job was as a chorus girl in the West End production of High Button Shoes.
From there, Hepburn landed more small roles - she even took some elocution lessons from actor Felix Aylmer to make her stage voice clearer. She was determined to make it in the entertainment industry.
'Gigi' Was Audrey Hepburn's First Big Role
After being cast in tiny stage roles, Audrey Hepburn finally landed the title role in the 1951 Broadway production of Gigi. She was spotted in a crowd by the French novelist Colette, of whose work the play is based on, and was hired for the lead right then and there.
Never having scored a speaking role in a play, Hepburn required private lessons. Her performance was praised. The New York Times wrote, "Her quality is so winning and so right that she is the success of the evening."
Hepburn even won a Theatre World Award for her role.
'Roman Holiday' Was Her Ticket to Worldwide Fame
Even though Hepburn found success on the stage, her big break didn't come until after Gigi wrapped in 1953. That year, she was cast in her big-break, as the female lead, Princess Ann, in the romantic comedy Roman Holiday, opposite George Peck.
Ironically, the producers originally wanted Elizabeth Taylor for the lead, but quickly changed their minds after seeing Hepburn's screen test.
She Became The First-Ever Woman to Win an Oscar
Roman Holiday did more for Hepburn than put her name on the map. The film was a box-office success and won the new actress many unexpected accolades. She became the first-ever woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress. She also won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture and a BAFTA for Best British Actress in a Leading Role.
Soon after, Hepburn signed a seven-year contract with Paramount, landed the 1953 cover of Time and was slowly but surely becoming a fashion icon for young women everywhere.
She Was Owning Her Stage Presence
Even with all of her success on-screen, Audrey Hepburn still enjoyed dabbling in theater performances. In 1954, she returned to the stage as a water nymph who falls in love with a mortal in the Broadway production of Ondine.
Her performance was an instant sensation with theatergoers. A New York Times critic wrote, "Somehow, Miss Hepburn is able to translate [its intangibles] into the language of the theatre without artfulness or precociousness. She gives a pulsing performance that is all grace and enchantment, disciplined by an instinct for the realities of the stage."
Hepburn's performance won her a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play.
Dancing and Acting Collide
While Hepburn decided to leave dancing behind her, it had a way of sneaking into her acting career. In 1957, she starred opposite dance legend, Fred Astaire, in Funny Face. The romantic musical comedy showcased Hepburn's expressive dance style while introducing the world to some new fashion trends.
Funny Face had her dressed in black capri pants and ballet flats, both of which became wildly popular after the release of the film, but they weren't the only styles the actress is known for revolutionizing.
Audrey Hepburn Was in High Demand
While Hepburn wasn't cast in any films in 1955, it didn't stop her from winning the prestigious Golden Globe for World Film Favorite. The young actress was on quite the roll in the world of entertainment, so she wanted to end the decade with a bang.
Hepburn wound up starring in multiple films by the end of 1959. Her parts included Natasha Rostova in War and Peace, an innocent daughter in Love in the Afternoon and Sister Luke in The Nun's Story. The latter won her a third Academy Award nomination.
Introducting Holly Golightly
Probably the biggest and most iconic role of Hepburn's career came about in the 1960s. In '61, she was cast as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's. While Marilyn Monroe was the preferred choice by Truman Capote, author of the original novella the film is loosely based on.
Hepburn's portrayal of the New York socialite made the character one of the best-known in cinematic history. Well, her portrayal, and the infamous little black dress she wears in the opening credits!
Hepburn Was a Style Icon
Aside from her acting, Hepburn was well known for her iconic style of short hair, cigarette pants and ballet flats. Her fashion choices were so distinctive that journalist Mark Tungate went as far as to call her a "recognizable brand."
In 1961, she was added to the International Best Dressed List, being praised for her minimalist style, statement accessories and monochromatic colors. Hepburn was a fashion icon until her death.
A Huge Star By the End of the Decade
The 1960s were quite the decade forHepburn's acting career. She was starring in films left and right and being nominated for prestigious awards for pretty much all of her roles. Two such films were Charade, which she starred in opposite Cary Grant, and My Fair Lady.
Ironically, Hepburn wasn't entirely sure about playing the role of Eliza Doolittle in the latter, thinking Julie Andrews would better portray the character. The part required much singing, something Hepburn wasn't comfortable with.
Even so, she was cast, and she was nominated for both a BAFTA and New York Film Critics Circle award for Best Actress.
Hepburn Slowly Made Her Way Out of the Spotlight
By the end of the 1960s, Hepburn was slowly making her way out of the spotlight to spend more time with her family. She married actor Mel Ferrer in '54, with whom she had children, but they divorced in '68.
Hepburn remarried a year later, this time to Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti. The two had a son together. It wasn't until '76 that the actress decided it was time to make a comeback in Hollywood. To her credit, she made it back, but it wasn't the same as before.
By 1976, Audrey Hepburn Was Back on Screen
After a long hiatus, Hepburn decided it was time to jump back in the saddle. In 1976, she got the role of Maid Marian in Robin and Marian, opposite Sean Connery. While the film wasn't overly successful in the box-office, people were excited to see Hepburn back on the silver screen, especially with a big name like Connery.
Film critic Roger Ebert said, "[Connery and Hepburn] really do seem in love. And they project as marvellously complex, fond, tender people; the passage of 20 years has given them grace and wisdom."
Her Next Film Was a Box-Office Failure
By the time 1979 rolled around, Hepburn's career was in decline. She was cast in Bloodline alongside James Mason, Romy Schneider and Ben Gazzara, but it was a box-office failure and the beginning of the end for her career.
It was a couple of years later, in '81, that Hepburn starred alongside Gazzara once more, this time in They All Laughed. Unfortunately, the film didn't get a lot of recognition, as it was overshadowed by the murder of one of its actresses, Dorthy Stratten.
One Last Motion Picture
Hepburn's last motion picture was Always, the 1989 Steven Spielberg film where she made a cameo as an angel. Afterward, she completed two more entertainment-project, but nothing for the silver screen. In the spring and summer of '90, she filmed a PBS documentary series on location in seven countries titled Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn.
'Audrey Hepburn's Enchanted Tales'
Hepburn's other final project was a little something called Audrey Hepburn's Enchanted Tales. The 1992 album consisted of classic children's stories, all read and recorded by Hepburn.
As her PBS documentary series did, this release landed her a posthumous award. In '94, Hepburn was awarded a posthumous Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children.
She Left Hollywood to Focus on Humanitarian Work
While becoming a huge name in Hollywood, Hepburn was also making a name for herself in the world of humanitarianism. She was highly involved in UNICEF during the '50s, joining radio programs to re-tell her story of being a child during the World Wars.
Due to her busy schedule, it wasn't until 1988 that Hepburn finally went on a mission trip with UNICEF. That year, she traveled to an Ethiopian orphanage, having UNICEF deliver food to the impoverished children.
In the following years, Hepburn traveled to Turkey, Central America, and Vietnam, all in the name of UNICEF.
Widly Recognized for Her Humanitarian Work
For her humanitarian work, Hepburn received various accolades. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences posthumously awarded her the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, and US President George W. Bush awarded her with the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In 2002, "The Spirit of Audrey" was erected at the UNICEF headquarters in New York, in honor of Hepburn's contributions to the organization and humanitarian work.
Hepburn is the Third-Greatest Screen Legend
Through her career, Audrey Hepburn played an array of characters across genres. Some may say she was a product of her time, but she had more than one skill up her sleeve that placed her as the third-greatest legend during Hollywood's Golden Age.
Hepburn landed iconic roles that people today still enjoy watching, including such classics as Breakfast at Tiffany's, Charade and Roman Holiday. The latter role gave her the honor of being the first actress ever to win an Oscar.
Kelsey Berish
