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AUDREY HEPBURN ACTRESS, HUMANITARIAN, CULTURAL ICON

FULL NAME: AUDREY KATHLEEN VAN HEEMSTRA RUSTON

BORN: MAY 4, 1929, BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

DIED: JANUARY 20, 1993, TOLCHENAZ, SWITZERLAND

NATIONALITY: BRITISH

U.S. postage stamp, circa 2003, memorializing Audrey Hepburn

Known for her love of animals, Audrey adopted a fawn from one of her films and named him Ip.

GRACE, BEAUTY, AND HEART

It is fitting that Audrey Hepburn should follow so closely behind Marilyn Monroe (see here) in this book. Audrey’s most famous movie role was Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The part was originally written for Marilyn Monroe, already a huge screen star, but the petite rising star—with aristocratic chic—wowed the crew and won the part.

Born in Belgium to an English banker father and a Dutch baroness, Audrey Kathleen van Heemstra Ruston spent her childhood alternating between the Netherlands and England. “Hepburn” was a name she added later. During World War II, Audrey and her mother lived in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands, where they experienced the brutality of war. Young Audrey saw Jewish people all around her taken from their homes, and she herself suffered malnutrition and other hardships. Audrey reportedly helped the resistance movement by delivering messages and raised funds by dancing in secret ballet performances. These experiences would have a profound impact on her lifelong dedication to humanitarianism.

CINDERELLA OF THE SILVER SCREEN

After the war, Audrey continued to study ballet. She made her debut on the London stage in 1948. In 1951, she won a bit part in her first feature film, One Wild Oat, before starring in the Broadway production of Gigi in the same year. Her success was building fast. In 1953, aged just 22, Audrey starred opposite Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday as a free-spirited princess. For the role, she won an Academy Award for Best Actress. Often, Audrey’s roles centered on Cinderella-like transitions, such as those in Sabrina and Funny Face, and she starred in everything from light-hearted comedies to epic tragedies. One of her two most famous transformation movies was Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), based on a novella by Truman Capote. The film earned her millions of fans, and to this day it remains a much-loved cult classic. The other was the beloved musical classic My Fair Lady (1964). Star of stage and Hollywood’s Golden Age, Audrey is one of only a handful of actresses to win an Emmy (for TV), Tony (for theater), Grammy (for music), and Academy Award (for film). The American Film Institute ranked Audrey third among the greatest female stars of all time. She won one Oscar and was nominated for five, as well as winning three Golden Globes.

Audrey quickly became a style icon, on the opposite end of the spectrum from curvy, glamorous Marilyn. Audrey had short hair, a slim body, and minimalistic fashion sense. Her look was more attainable to the average woman at the time, and she is often named among the greatest style icons of the 20th century.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

By the 1970s and 1980s, Audrey appeared in fewer films. She still made the occasional onscreen appearance, but humanitarian work was now her priority. In around 1988, Audrey began to serve as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Fluent in six languages, she traveled the world with UNICEF, raising awareness about poverty, hunger, and healthcare. From her own childhood experiences, Audrey knew what it felt like to suffer hardships, and she was renowned for her incredible ability to connect with people—especially children. In spite of the atrocities she witnessed, Audrey remained hopeful for the future. In return for her contributions, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992, as well as a special Academy Award for her humanitarian work in 1993. Just after her death, her sons and partner established the Audrey Hepburn Society^® at UNICEF.