Audrey Hepburn, one of the greatest actresses of all time, a symbol of beauty, bravery, and courage, was ranked by the AFI as the third-greatest female screen legend from classical Hollywood cinema and was also included in the International Best Dressed Hall of Fame List.
Born on May 4, 1929, in Brussels, Belgium, Audrey Kathleen Ruston was the daughter of Joseph Victor Anthony Hepburn-Ruston and Baroness Ella van Heemstra. Her father was of English and Austrian descent, while her mother was a Dutch aristocrat.
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, it’s at the end of your arm. As you get older, remember you have another hand: the first is to help yourself, the second is to help others.
Audrey Hepburn
The Horror Of War
Hepburn’s early years were marked by the upheaval of World War II. She spent parts of her childhood in Belgium, England, and the Netherlands, and she faced the war’s challenges head-on. As Nazi forces occupied the Netherlands, Hepburn’s family faced the grim realities of war. They endured the fear and scarcity that came with living under a hostile regime. Hepburn, known then as Edda Van Heemstra to avoid drawing attention to her British roots, witnessed firsthand the horrors and deprivations of war.
Despite the dangers, Hepburn’s spirit remained unbroken. She found ways to contribute to the resistance against the occupiers. With a passion for dance, she performed at secret events called “zwarte avonden” or “black evenings,” which were organised to raise funds for the Dutch resistance. These performances were held in clandestine locations with blacked-out windows to avoid detection by the Nazis.
One of the key roles Hepburn played was as a courier, delivering underground newspapers that were vital in spreading information and maintaining morale among the Dutch people under Nazi occupation. These newspapers were an essential part of the resistance’s communication network, and by distributing them, Hepburn risked her safety to keep the lines of information open.
Hepburn was also involved in aiding downed Allied pilots, helping them to evade capture by German forces. This was a dangerous task that required stealth and courage, as the consequences of being caught would have been severe. Her efforts helped save lives and assisted the pilots in returning to their units to continue the fight against the Axis powers.
Hepburn also volunteered at a hospital that was central to resistance activities. Hospitals were key locations for the resistance, as they were places where the injured could be treated but also served as hubs for the coordination of various clandestine operations.
The war also took a personal toll on Hepburn’s health. Like many in the Netherlands, she suffered from malnutrition, particularly during the Dutch famine of 1944. The scarcity of food and the harsh conditions of the occupation left an indelible mark on her, contributing to her lifelong empathy for those suffering from hunger. The end of the war left Audrey suffering from the effects of malnutrition and gravely ill with jaundice, anaemia, oedema, and a respiratory infection. Reportedly, her trademark petite figure and bony appearance were due to the malnutrition she faced during the war.
Birth Of A Star
After the war, she first moved to Amsterdam, where she studied ballet with Sonia Gaskell and Olga Tarasova. She moved to London in 1948 when she got a ballet scholarship and started working as a model. She appeared in several European films before starring in the 1951 Broadway play Gigi. She also won a Tony Award for her stage performance in Ondine (1954).
Her breakout role in “Roman Holiday” (1953) with Gregory Peck. Her performance earned her an Oscar, making her the first actress to win an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA for a single role, establishing her as a leading lady. In “Sabrina” (1954), she captured hearts alongside Humphrey Bogart and William Holden. She showcased her singing in “Funny Face” (1957) and delivered a powerful performance in “The Nun’s Story” (1959).
Hepburn became one of the most successful film actresses in the world and performed with notable leading men such as Gregory Peck, Rex Harrison, Humphrey Bogart, Gary Cooper, Cary Grant, Henry Fonda, William Holden, Fred Astaire, Peter O’Toole, and Albert Finney.
Hepburn’s collaborations with director Blake Edwards in classics like “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961) and “My Fair Lady” (1964). Audrey’s role as Holly Golightly in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961) was a memorable one. Her rendering of the iconic ‘Moonriver’ and the scene itself is so very endearing. If you notice, the lyrics are almost nonsensical. Johnny Mercer intentionally penned those lines as, in the movie, Holly is no singer, and it looks so natural when she’s sitting on her windowsill and singing this impromptu song as she strums her guitar. Hats off to composer Henry Mancini for this timeless tune!
Audrey Hepburn displayed her stunning versatility when she played the role of a helpless, blind young woman all alone in her apartment and terrorised by some nasty murderous thugs in Wait Until Dark (1967). We’d loved to loathe Alan Arkin and Richard Crenna as the ruthless baddies. Our sympathies were solely with Audrey in the movie.
She won BAFTA Awards for her performances in “The Nun’s Story (1959)” and Charade (1963) and received Academy Award nominations for “Sabrina,” “The Nun’s Story,” “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” and “Wait Until Dark.” She starred as Eliza Doolittle in the film version of My Fair Lady, becoming only the third actor to receive $1,000,000 for a film role.
Some of her other notable films include War and Peace (1956), Funny Face (1957), Love in the Afternoon (1957), Green Mansions (1959), The Unforgiven (1960), Paris When It Sizzles (1964), How to Steal a Million (1966), and Two for the Road (1967).
From 1968 to 1975, she took a break from filmmaking to spend more time with her two sons. In 1976, she starred with Sean Connery in “Robin and Marian,” followed by Bloodline (1979) and “They All Laughed(1981).” In 1989, she made her last film appearance in Steven Spielberg’s “Always.”
Her last recorded performances were in the 1990 documentary television series “Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn,” for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Informational Programming.
Hepburn was married twice, first to actor Mel Ferrer in 1954 and then to Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti in 1969. Both marriages ended in divorce, but not before blessing her with two sons, Sean and Luca.
Hepburn won three BAFTA Awards for Best British Actress in a Leading Role. In recognition of her film career, she received BAFTA’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, and the Special Tony Award.
Beyond her cinematic achievements, Audrey was a humanitarian and a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, dedicating herself to children’s causes. Her timeless beauty, paired with her humility and philanthropy, left an indelible mark on both Hollywood and the world.
In September 1992, Hepburn faced her final challenge when she was diagnosed with a rare form of abdominal cancer known as “pseudomyxoma peritonei. Despite the prognosis, she continued to carry herself with the dignity and poise that had become her hallmark. Audrey Hepburn passed away in her sleep on January 20, 1993, at her home in Tolochenaz, Vaud, Switzerland, at the age of 63.
Her legacy, however, endures. Audrey Hepburn remains a symbol of timeless beauty, talent, and compassion. Her work with UNICEF earned her the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in December 1992, just a month before her passing.
