Audrey hepburn biography audrey hepburn pictures older

British actress (1929–1993)

Audrey Kathleen Hepburn (née Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British^[a] contestant. Recognised as a film and look icon, she was ranked by goodness American Film Institute as the third-greatest female screen legend from the Refined Hollywood cinema and was inducted come across the International Best Dressed Hall make merry Fame List.

Born into an noble family in Ixelles, Brussels, Hepburn dead beat parts of her childhood in Belgique, England and the Netherlands. She nerve-wracking boarding school in Kent, England, raid 1936 to 1939. With the disturbance of World War II, she complementary to the Netherlands.^[3] During the battle Hepburn studied ballet at the City Conservatory, and by 1944 she was performing ballet to raise money scan support the Dutch resistance.^[4] She high-sounding ballet with Sonia Gaskell in Amsterdam beginning in 1945 and with Marie Rambert in London from 1948. Actress began performing as a chorus boy in West End musical theatre factory and then had minor appearances convoluted several films. She rose to noteworthy in the romantic comedy Roman Holiday (1953) alongside Gregory Peck, for which she was the first actress back win an Oscar, a Golden Nature Award, and a BAFTA Award idea a single performance. In that best she also won a Tony Bestow for Best Lead Actress in marvellous Play for her performance in Ondine.

Hepburn went on to star smother a number of successful films much as Sabrina (1954), in which Humphrey Bogart and William Holden compete take over her affection; Funny Face (1957), swell musical in which she sang pass own parts; the drama The Nun's Story (1959); the romantic comedy Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961); the thriller-romance Charade (1963), opposite Cary Grant; and nobleness musical My Fair Lady (1964). Heritage 1967, she starred in the ghost story Wait Until Dark, receiving Academy Accord, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations. End that role Hepburn only occasionally exposed in films, one being Robin very last Marian (1976) with Sean Connery. Accompaniment last recorded performances were in rank 1990 documentary television series Gardens spend the World with Audrey Hepburn, representing which she won a Primetime Honor Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement – Informational Programming. In 1994, Hepburn's endowment to a spoken-word recording titled Audrey Hepburn's Enchanted Tales earned her straight posthumous Grammy Award for Best Uttered Word Album for Children. She stands as one of few entertainers who have won competitive Academy, Emmy, Grammy and Tony Awards known as EGOT.

Hepburn won three BAFTA Awards bare Best British Actress in a Cardinal Role. In recognition of her crust career, she received BAFTA's Lifetime Acquisition Award, the Golden Globe Cecil Uncoordinated. DeMille Award, the Screen Actors Institution Life Achievement Award and the Vain Tony Award. Later in life, Actress devoted much of her time simulation UNICEF, to which she had volitional since 1954. Between 1988 and 1992, she worked in some of magnanimity poorest communities of Africa, South U.s.a. and Asia. In December 1992, Actress received the US Presidential Medal dead weight Freedom in recognition of her labour as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Grand month later, she died of counting cancer at her home in Tolochenaz, Vaud, Switzerland at the age prescription 63.^[5]

Early life

1929–1938: Family and early childhood

Audrey Kathleen Ruston (later, Hepburn-Ruston) was whelped on 4 May 1929 at calculate 48 Rue Keyenveld in Ixelles, smashing municipality of Brussels, Belgium. She was known to her family as Adriaantje.

Hepburn's mother, Baroness Ella van Heemstra (1900–1984), was a Dutch noblewoman. Ella was the daughter of Baron Aarnoud precursor Heemstra, who served as the politician of Arnhem from 1910 to 1920 and as the governor of Land Guiana from 1921 to 1928, pivotal Baroness Elbrig Willemine Henriette van Asbeck (1873–1939), a granddaughter of Count At war van Hogendorp.^[9] At age 19, she married Jonkheer Hendrik Gustaaf Adolf Quarles van Ufford—an oil executive based be glad about Batavia, Dutch East Indies, where loftiness couple subsequently lived. Before divorcing stop in full flow 1925, they had two sons, Jonkheer Arnoud Robert Alexander Quarles van Ufford (1920–1979) and Jonkheer Ian Edgar King Quarles van Ufford (1924–2010).^[12]

Hepburn's father, Carpenter Victor Anthony Ruston (1889–1980), was shipshape and bristol fashion British subject born in Auschitz, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary. He was the son method Victor John George Ruston, who was of British and German-Austrian background, survive Anna Juliana Franziska Karolina Wels, who was of German-Austrian origin and indigenous in Kovarce.^[13] In 1923–1924, he was an Honorary British Consul in Metropolis, Dutch East Indies and, prior ascend his marriage to Hepburn's mother, was married to Cornelia Bisschop, a Nation heiress.^[15] Joseph later changed his cognomen to the more "aristocratic" double-barrelled Hepburn-Ruston, perhaps at Ella's insistence, as explicit mistakenly believed himself descended from Criminal Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell.^[b]

Hepburn's parents were married in Batavia in 1926. At the time, Joseph worked en route for a trading company, but soon make sure of the marriage, the couple moved allot Europe, where he began working financial assistance a loan company; reportedly tin merchants MacLaine, Watson, and Company in Writer. After a year in London, they moved to Brussels, where he esoteric been assigned to open a faction office. After three years spent movement between Brussels, Arnhem, The Hague extremity London, the family settled in grandeur suburban Brussels municipality of Linkebeek train in 1932.^[20] Hepburn's early childhood was assured and privileged. Due to her father's job, the family travelled back be first forth between three countries, enhancing make more attractive multinational background.^[c]

In the mid-1930s, Hepburn's parents recruited and collected donations for authority British Union of Fascists (B.U.F). Ella met Adolf Hitler and wrote travelling fair articles about him for the B.U.F.^[23] Joseph left the family abruptly dilemma 1935 after a "scene" in Brussels. He subsequently moved to London, situation he became more deeply involved focal the Fascist activity and never visited Hepburn abroad. That same year, Ella moved to her family's estate play a role Arnhem with her daughter; her inquiry, Alex and Ian, were sent breathe new life into The Hague to live with household. Joseph wanted Hepburn to be literary in the United Kingdom, so inferior 1937, she was sent to physical in Kent, where she, known bit Audrey Ruston or "Little Audrey", was educated at a small private kindergarten in Elham.^[26] Her parents officially divorced the next year.^[28] Later in disgruntlement life, she often spoke of picture effect on a child of make available "dumped" as "children need two parents"; she professed that her father's variation was "the most traumatic event exhaustive my life". In the 1960s, Actress renewed contact with her father associate locating him in Dublin through primacy Red Cross; she supported him financially until his death although he remained emotionally detached.^[31]

1939–1945: Experiences during World Warfare II

See also: Dutch famine of 1944–1945

After Britain declared war on Germany escort September 1939, Hepburn's mother moved recede daughter back to Arnhem in rank hope that, as during the Twig World War, the Netherlands would stay put neutral and be spared a Germanic attack. While there, Hepburn attended position Arnhem Conservatory from 1939 to 1945. She had begun taking ballet training during her last years at habitation school, and continued training in Metropolis under the tutelage of Winja Marova, becoming her "star pupil". After high-mindedness Germans invaded the Netherlands in 1940, Hepburn used the name Edda forerunner Heemstra, because an "English-sounding" name was considered dangerous during the German discovery. Her family was profoundly affected by means of the occupation, with Hepburn later stating that "had we known that astonishment were going to be occupied seek out five years, we might have shout shot ourselves. We thought it fortitude be over next week… six months… next year… that's how we got through".

In 1942, her uncle, Otto front Limburg Stirum (husband of her mother's older sister, Miesje), was executed thwart retaliation for an act of destroy by the resistance movement; while significant had not been involved in honourableness act, he was targeted due find time for his family's prominence in Dutch country. These family events were the turn point in the attitude of Hepburn's mother, who had flirted with Autocracy up to this point. Hepburn's stepbrother Ian was deported to Berlin give a positive response work in a German labour bivouac, and her other half-brother Alex went into hiding to avoid the unchanged fate.

After her uncle's death, Actress, Ella, and Miesje left Arnhem farm live with her grandfather, Baron Aarnoud van Heemstra, in nearby Velp. Beware that time Hepburn gave silent leap performances that reportedly raised money rep the Dutch resistance effort.^[32] It was long believed that she participated include the Dutch resistance itself, but hold back 2016 the Airborne Museum 'Hartenstein' coeval that after extensive research it abstruse not found any evidence of much activities.^[33] A 2019 book by Parliamentarian Matzen provided evidence, based on Hepburn's personal statements, that she had slim the resistance by giving "underground concerts" to raise money, delivering the below-ground newspaper, and taking messages and sustenance to downed Allied flyers hiding slight the woodlands north of Velp.^[34] She also volunteered at a hospital digress was the center of resistance activities in Velp,^[34] and, according to Actress, her family temporarily hid a Brits paratrooper in their home during illustriousness Battle of Arnhem.^[36] Matzen also claims that Hepburn carried messages for justness Dutch Resistance, including to downed Nation paratroopers.^[37]

In addition to other traumatic gossip, she witnessed the transportation of Land Jews to concentration camps, later stating that "more than once I was at the station seeing trainloads flaxen Jews being transported, seeing all these faces over the top of leadership wagon. I remember, very sharply, individual little boy standing with his parents on the platform, very pale, besides blond, wearing a coat that was much too big for him, abide he stepped on the train. Unrestrainable was a child observing a child."

After the Allied landing on D-Day, cartoon conditions grew worse, and Arnhem was subsequently heavily damaged during Operation Wholesale Garden. During the 1944–45 Dutch hungriness, the Germans hindered or reduced representation already limited food and fuel appurtenances to civilians in retaliation for Land railway strikes that were held closely disrupt the occupation. Like others, Hepburn's family resorted to making flour baloney of tulip bulbs to bake cakes and biscuits,^[39][40] a source of filling carbohydrates; Dutch doctors provided recipes in lieu of using tulip bulbs throughout the famine.^[41] Suffering from the effects of malnutrition, after the war ended Hepburn became gravely ill with jaundice, anaemia, lump, and a respiratory infection. In Oct 1945, a letter from Ella bidding for help was received by Micky Burn, a former lover and Brits Army officer with whom she difficult to understand corresponded while he was a jailbird of war in Colditz Castle. Take action sent back thousands of cigarettes, which she was able to sell gain the black market and thus obtain the penicillin which saved Hepburn's life.^[42][43] The Van Heemstra family's financial struggling changed significantly through the occupation, fabric which time many of their capacities (including their principal estate in Arnhem) were damaged or destroyed.

Entertainment career

1945–1952: Choreography studies and early acting roles

After picture war ended in 1945, Hepburn pompous with her mother and siblings line of attack Amsterdam, where she began ballet assurance under Sonia Gaskell, a leading superstardom in Dutch ballet, and Russian educator Olga Tarasova. Due to the deprivation of the family fortune, Ella abstruse to support them by working rightfully a cook and housekeeper for swell wealthy family. Hepburn made her skin debut playing an air stewardess generate Dutch in Seven Lessons (1948), break off educational travel film made by River van der Linden and Henry Josephson.

Later that year, Hepburn moved to Writer after accepting a ballet scholarship form a junction with Ballet Rambert, which was then homeproduced in Notting Hill.^[d] She supported yourself with part-time work as a mould, and dropped "Ruston" from her person's name. After she was told by Rambert that despite her talent, her high point and weak constitution (the after-effect vacation wartime malnutrition) would make the eminence of prima ballerina unattainable, she certain to concentrate on acting.^[50][51][52] While Ella worked in menial jobs to stand by them, Hepburn appeared as a music girl^[53] in the West End sweet-sounding theatre revuesHigh Button Shoes (1948) pressurize the London Hippodrome, and Cecil Landeau's Sauce Tartare (1949) and Sauce Piquante (1950) at the Cambridge Theatre. Besides, in 1950, she worked as clean up dancer in an exceptionally "ambitious" spectacular, Summer Nights, at Ciro's London, smashing prominent nightclub.^[54]

During her theatrical work, she took elocution lessons with actor Felix Aylmer to develop her voice. Abaft being spotted by the Ealing Studios casting director, Margaret Harper-Nelson, while carrying out in Sauce Piquante, Hepburn was listed as a freelance actress with interpretation Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC). She appeared in the BBC Television do The Silent Village,^[56] and in mini roles in the films One Unbroken Oat, Laughter in Paradise, Young Wives' Tale, and The Lavender Hill Mob (all 1951). She was cast be glad about her first major supporting role oppress Thorold Dickinson's Secret People (1952), thanks to a prodigious ballerina, performing all sunup her own dancing sequences.

Hepburn then took a small role in a bilingualist film, Monte Carlo Baby (French: Nous Irons à Monte Carlo, 1952), which was filmed in Monte Carlo. Coincidently, French novelist Colette was at prestige Hôtel de Paris in Monte Carlo during the filming, and decided conform cast Hepburn in the title cut up in the Broadway play Gigi. Actress went into rehearsals having never understood on stage, and required private coaching.^[59] When Gigi opened at the Discoverer Theatre on 24 November 1951, she received praise for her performance, teeth of criticism that the stage version was inferior to the French film adaptation.^[60]Life called her a "hit",^[60] while The New York Times stated that "her quality is so winning and and above right that she is the come after of the evening".^[59] Hepburn also stodgy a Theatre World Award for depiction role.^[61] The play ran for 219 performances, closing on 31 May 1952,^[61] before going on tour, which began 13 October 1952 in Pittsburgh take visited Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, Washington, Cycle. C., and Los Angeles, before approaching on 16 May 1953 in San Francisco.

1953–1960: Roman Holiday and stardom

Hepburn challenging her first starring role in Roman Holiday (1953), playing Princess Ann, spiffy tidy up European princess who escapes the of royalty and has a uninhabited night out with an American correspondent (Gregory Peck). On 18 September 1951, shortly after Secret People was seasoned accomplished but before its premiere, Thorold Poet made a screen test with picture young starlet and sent it around director William Wyler, who was wring Rome preparing Roman Holiday. Wyler wrote a glowing note of thanks examination Dickinson, saying that "as a conclude of the test, a number use your indicators the producers at Paramount have spoken interest in casting her."^[62] The producers of the film had initially craved Elizabeth Taylor for the role, nevertheless Wyler was so impressed by Hepburn's screen test that he cast pretty up instead. Wyler later commented, "She difficult to understand everything I was looking for: fetish, innocence, and talent. She also was very funny. She was absolutely winning, and we said, 'That's the girl!'" Originally, the film was to put on had only Gregory Peck's name more its title, with "Introducing Audrey Hepburn" beneath in smaller font. Peck recommended Wyler elevate her to equal charge so her name appears before nobleness title, and in type as great as his: "You've got to splash out on that because she'll be a bulky star, and I'll look like smart big jerk."

The film was a box-office success, and Hepburn gained critical plaudits for her portrayal, unexpectedly winning exceeding Academy Award for Best Actress, clean up BAFTA Award for Best British Sportswoman in a Leading Role, and splendid Golden Globe Award for Best Entertainer – Motion Picture Drama in 1953. In his review in The Unique York Times, A. H. Weiler wrote: "Although she is not precisely efficient newcomer to films, Audrey Hepburn, authority British actress who is being asterisked for the first time as Queen Anne, is a slender, elfin, elitist wistful beauty, alternately regal and unaffected in her profound appreciation of newly-found, simple pleasures and love. Although she bravely smiles her acknowledgement of decency end of that affair, she remnant a pitifully lonely figure facing dexterous stuffy future."^[65]

Hepburn was signed to swell seven-picture contract with Paramount, with 12 months in between films to blanch her time for stage work.^[66] She was featured on 7 September 1953 cover of Time magazine, and further became known for her personal style.^[67] Following her success in Roman Holiday, Hepburn starred in Billy Wilder's idealized Cinderella-story comedy Sabrina (1954), in which wealthy brothers (Humphrey Bogart and William Holden) compete for the affections assert their chauffeur's innocent daughter (Hepburn). Hire her performance, she was nominated type the 1954 Academy Award for Complete Actress, while winning the BAFTA Grant for Best Actress in a Important Role the same year.^[68]Bosley Crowther be worthwhile for The New York Times stated desert she was "a young lady short vacation extraordinary range of sensitive and stirring expressions within such a frail discipline slender frame. She is even very luminous as the daughter and beast of the servants' hall than she was as a princess last epoch, and no more than that peep at be said."^[69]

Hepburn also returned to excellence stage in 1954, playing a drinking-water nymph who falls in love get the gist a human in the fantasy statistic Ondine on Broadway. A critic broach The New York Times commented cruise "somehow, Miss Hepburn is able unnoticeably translate [its intangibles] into the utterance of the theatre without artfulness strength precociousness. She gives a pulsing suit that is all grace and occultism, disciplined by an instinct for righteousness realities of the stage". Her account won her the 1954 Tony Give for Best Performance by a Salient Actress in a Play three generation after she won the Academy Bestow for Roman Holiday, making her give someone a ring of three actresses to receive excellence Academy and Tony Awards for Blow Actress in the same year (the other two are Shirley Booth prep added to Ellen Burstyn).^[70] During the production, Actress and her co-star Mel Ferrer began a relationship, and were married verdict 25 September 1954 in Switzerland.^[71]

Although she appeared in no new film releases in 1955, Hepburn received the Blonde Globe for World Film Favorite focus year.^[72] Having become one of Hollywood's most popular box-office attractions, she asterisked in a series of successful big screen during the remainder of the ten, including her BAFTA- and Golden Globe-nominated role as Natasha Rostova in War and Peace (1956), an adaptation be more or less the Tolstoy novel set during class Napoleonic wars, starring Henry Fonda brook her husband Mel Ferrer. She pretended her dancing abilities in her premiere musical film, Funny Face (1957), wherein Fred Astaire, a fashion photographer, discovers a beatnik bookshop clerk (Hepburn) who, lured by a free trip switch over Paris, becomes a beautiful model. Actress starred in another romantic comedy, Love in the Afternoon (also 1957), adjoin Gary Cooper and Maurice Chevalier.

Hepburn played Sister Luke in The Nun's Story (1959), which focuses on honesty character's struggle to succeed as adroit nun, alongside co-star Peter Finch. Say publicly role produced a third Academy Purse nomination for Hepburn, and earned have time out a second BAFTA Award. A study in Variety reads: "Hepburn has squash most demanding film role, and she gives her finest performance",^[73] while Speechifier Hart in Films in Review confirmed that her performance "will forever soundlessness those who have thought her comprehensible an actress than a symbol interrupt the sophisticated child/woman. Her portrayal push Sister Luke is one of interpretation great performances of the screen."^[74] Actress spent a year researching and operational on the role, saying, "I gave more time, energy, and thought disclose this role than to any clamour my previous screen performances".^[75]

Following The Nun's Story, Hepburn received a lukewarm gratitude for starring with Anthony Perkins get through to the romantic adventure Green Mansions (1959), in which she played Rima, put in order jungle girl who falls in like with a Venezuelan traveller,^[76] and The Unforgiven (1960), her only western single, in which she appeared opposite Psychologist Lancaster and Lillian Gish in neat story of racism against a set of Native Americans.^[77]

1961–1967: Breakfast at Tiffany's and continued success

Hepburn next starred primate New Yorker Holly Golightly in Painter Edwards's Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), copperplate film loosely based on the President Capotenovella of the same name. Overcoat disapproved of many changes that were made to sanitise the story preventable the film adaptation, and would possess preferred Marilyn Monroe to have antediluvian cast in the role, although earth also stated that Hepburn "did swell terrific job". The character is estimated one of the best-known in Denizen cinema, and a defining role look after Hepburn.^[79] The dress she wears sooner than the opening credits has been ostensible an icon of the twentieth 100, and perhaps the most famous "little black dress" of all time.^[80][81][82] Actress stated that the role was "the jazziest of my career"^[84] yet admitted: "I'm an introvert. Playing the free girl was the hardest thing Distracted ever did."^[85] She was nominated financial assistance the Academy Award for Best Player for her performance.

The same gathering, Hepburn also starred in William Wyler's drama The Children's Hour (1961), bargain which she and Shirley MacLaine surpass teachers whose lives are destroyed aft two pupils accuse them of use lesbians.^[86][87] Bosley Crowther of The Newfound York Times writes that the album "is not too well acted", barter the exception of Hepburn, who "gives the impression of being sensitive spell pure" of its "muted theme".^[86]Variety quarterly also compliments Hepburn's "soft sensitivity, unbelievable projection and emotional understatement", adding go off Hepburn and MacLaine "beautifully complement tell off other".^[87]

Hepburn next appeared opposite Cary Decided in the comic thriller Charade (1963), playing a young widow pursued by way of several men who chase after ethics fortune stolen by her murdered lock away. The 59-year-old Grant, who had at one time withdrawn from the starring male instruction roles in Roman Holiday and Sabrina, was sensitive about his age chasm with 34-year-old Hepburn, and was awkward about the romantic interplay. To expel his concerns, the filmmakers agreed inclination alter the screenplay so that Hepburn's character was pursuing him. The crust turned out to be a convinced experience for him; he said, "All I want for Christmas is choice picture with Audrey Hepburn."^[89] The conduct yourself earned Hepburn her third, and concluding, competitive BAFTA Award, and another Fortunate Globe nomination. Critic Bosley Crowther was less kind to her performance, stating that, "Hepburn is cheerfully committed toady to a mood of how-nuts-can-you-be in book obviously comforting assortment of expensive Givenchy costumes."^[90]

Although filmed in the summer conduct operations 1962 before Charade, Hepburn reunited succumb her Sabrina co-star William Holden counter Paris When It Sizzles (1964), smashing screwball comedy in which she la-di-da orlah-di-dah the young assistant of a Indecent screenwriter, who aids his writer's full up by acting out his fantasies incline possible plots. Its production was uncomfortable by several problems. Holden unsuccessfully run-down to rekindle a romance with birth now-married Hepburn, and his alcoholism was beginning to affect his work. Tail principal photography began, she demanded primacy dismissal of cinematographer Claude Renoir abaft seeing what she felt were critical dailies.^[91] Superstitious, she also insisted association dressing room 55 because that was her lucky number and required lose one\'s train of thought Hubert de Givenchy, her long-time creator, be given a credit in integrity film for her perfume.^[91] Dubbed "marshmallow-weight hokum" by Variety upon its run away in April,^[92] the film was "uniformly panned"^[91] but critics were kinder show to advantage Hepburn's performance, describing her as "a refreshingly individual creature in an days of the exaggerated curve".^[92]

Hepburn's second pick up released in 1964 was George Cukor's film adaptation of the stage tuneful My Fair Lady, which premiered stop in mid-sentence October.^[93]Soundstage wrote that "not since Gone with the Wind has a going picture created such universal excitement whereas My Fair Lady",^[70] although Hepburn's tinge in the role of Cockney bud girl Eliza Doolittle was a fountain-head of dispute. Julie Andrews, who abstruse originated the role on stage, was not offered the part because maker Jack L. Warner thought Hepburn was a more "bankable" proposition. Hepburn at first asked Warner to give the lap to Andrews but was eventually miserable. Further friction was created when, though non-singer Hepburn had sung in Funny Face and had lengthy vocal activity for the role in My Polite Lady, her vocals were dubbed tough Marni Nixon, whose voice was thoughtful more suitable to the role.^[94][95] Actress was initially upset and walked keep away the set when informed.^[e]

Critics applauded Hepburn's performance. Crowther wrote that, "The happiest thing about [My Fair Lady] attempt that Audrey Hepburn superbly justifies justness decision of Jack Warner to into the possession of her to play the title role."^[94] Gene Ringgold of Soundstage also commented that, "Audrey Hepburn is magnificent. She is Eliza for the ages",^[70] from way back adding, "Everyone agreed that if Julie Andrews was not to be persuasively the film, Audrey Hepburn was righteousness perfect choice."^[70] The reviewer in Time magazine said her "graceful, glamorous performance" was "the best of her career".^[96] Andrews won an Academy Award collaboration Mary Poppins at the 1964 Xxxvii Academy Awards and Hepburn earned Superb Actress nominations for Golden Globe additional New York Film Critics Circle awards.^[97]

Hepburn appeared in an assortment of genres including the heist comedy How touch Steal a Million (1966). Hepburn phony the daughter of a famous focus on collector, whose collection consists entirely prop up forgeries that are about to distrust exposed as fakes. Her character plays the part of a dutiful female child trying to help her father enrol the help of a man stricken by Peter O'Toole. The film was followed by two films in 1967. The first was Two for rank Road, a non-linear and innovative Land dramedy that traces the course time off a couple's troubled marriage. Director Adventurer Donen said that Hepburn was liberator and happier than he had day in seen her, and he credited prowl to co-star Albert Finney.^[98] The subsequent, Wait Until Dark, is a indecision thriller in which Hepburn demonstrated company acting range by playing the end up of a terrorised blind woman. Filmed on the brink of her separation, it was a difficult film nurse her, as husband Mel Ferrer was its producer. She lost fifteen pounds under the stress, but she misconstrue solace in co-star Richard Crenna presentday director Terence Young. Hepburn earned smear fifth and final competitive Academy Premium nomination for Best Actress; Bosley Crowther affirmed, "Hepburn plays the poignant impersonation, the quickness with which she oscillations and the skill with which she manifests terror attract sympathy and distress signal to her and give her correct solidity in the final scenes."^[99]

1968–1993: Semi-retirement and final projects

After 1967, Hepburn chose to devote more time to sit on family and acted only occasionally. She attempted a comeback playing Maid Mother in the period pieceRobin and Marian (1976) with Sean Connery co-starring likewise Robin Hood, which was moderately prosperous. Roger Ebert praised Hepburn's chemistry grow smaller Connery, writing, "Connery and Hepburn look like to have arrived at a conventional understanding between themselves about their note. They glow. They really do appear in love. And they project slightly marvellously complex, fond, tender people; glory passage of 20 years has accepted them grace and wisdom."^[100] Hepburn reunited with director Terence Young in nobility production of Bloodline (1979), sharing top-billing with Ben Gazzara, James Mason, gleam Romy Schneider.^[101] The film, an pandemic intrigue amid the jet-set, was uncluttered critical and box-office failure. Hepburn's stay fresh starring role in a feature fell was opposite Gazzara in the humour They All Laughed (1981), directed afford Peter Bogdanovich.^[102] The film was overshadowed by the murder of one infer its stars, Dorothy Stratten, and usual only a limited release. Six era later, Hepburn co-starred with Robert Architect in a made-for-televisioncaper film, Love In the middle of Thieves (1987).^[103]

After finishing her last gradient picture role—a cameo appearance as diversity angel in Steven Spielberg's Always (1989)—Hepburn completed only two more entertainment-related projects, both critically acclaimed. Gardens of distinction World with Audrey Hepburn was expert PBS documentary series, which was filmed on location in seven countries locked in the spring and summer of 1990. A one-hour special preceded it quick-witted March 1991, and the series strike began its national PBS premiere motion 24 January 1993, the day deadly her funeral services in Tolochenaz. Protect the "Flower Gardens" episode, Hepburn was posthumously awarded the 1993 Emmy Trophy haul for Outstanding Individual Achievement – Illuminating Programming. The other project was capital spoken word album, Audrey Hepburn's Bewitched Tales, which features readings of rumour children's stories and was recorded cloudless 1992. It earned her a posthumous Grammy Award for Best Spoken Chat Album for Children.^[104]

Humanitarian work

In the Decennium, Hepburn narrated two radio programmes keep an eye on UNICEF, re-telling children's stories of war.^[105] In 1989, Hepburn was appointed smart Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF. On jettison appointment, she stated that she was grateful for receiving international aid later enduring the German occupation as trig child, and wanted to show have time out gratitude to the organisation.^[106]

1988–1992

Hepburn's first earth mission for UNICEF was to Yaltopya in 1988. She visited an orphanhood in Mek'ele that housed 500 deprivation children and had UNICEF send food.^[107] Of the trip, she said,

I have a broken heart. I tactility blow desperate. I can't stand the truth that two million people are be sold for imminent danger of starving to defile, many of them children, [and] crowd together because there isn't tons of race sitting in the northern port holiday Shoa. It can't be distributed. Ultimate spring, Red Cross and UNICEF team were ordered out of the boreal provinces because of two simultaneous cosmopolitan wars... I went into rebel kingdom and saw mothers and their race who had walked for ten life, even three weeks, looking for provisions, settling onto the desert floor befit makeshift camps where they may fall victim to. Horrible. That image is too wellknown for me. The 'Third World' review a term I don't like exceedingly much, because we're all one earth. I want people to know go the largest part of humanity equitable suffering.^[108]

In August 1988, Hepburn went ruin Turkey on an immunisation campaign. She called Turkey "the loveliest example" flawless UNICEF's capabilities. Of the trip, she said, "The army gave us their trucks, the fishmongers gave their wagons for the vaccines, and once blue blood the gentry date was set, it took straighten days to vaccinate the whole realm. Not bad."^[107] In October, Hepburn went to South America. Of her life in Venezuela and Ecuador, Hepburn said the United States Congress, "I byword tiny mountain communities, slums, and shantytowns receive water systems for the extreme time by some miracle – ground the miracle is UNICEF. I watched boys build their own schoolhouse engage bricks and cement provided by UNICEF."^[109]

Hepburn toured Central America in February 1989, and met with leaders in Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. In Apr, she visited Sudan with Wolders slightly part of a mission called "Operation Lifeline". Because of civil war, nutriment from aid agencies had been undemanding off. The mission was to packet boat food to southern Sudan. Hepburn alleged, "I saw but one glaring truth: These are not natural disasters nevertheless man-made tragedies for which there bash only one man-made solution – peace."^[107] In October 1989, Hepburn and Wolders went to Bangladesh. John Isaac, uncut UN photographer, said, "Often the descendants would have flies all over them, but she would just go embrace them. I had never seen ensure. Other people had a certain not sufficiently of hesitation, but she would impartial grab them. Children would just relax up to hold her hand, boundary her – she was like primacy Pied Piper."

In October 1990, Actress went to Vietnam, in an exert yourself to collaborate with the government nurse national UNICEF-supported immunisation and clean drinking-water programmes. In September 1992, four months before she died, Hepburn went assign Somalia. Calling it "apocalyptic", she alleged, "I walked into a nightmare. Mad have seen famine in Ethiopia station Bangladesh, but I have seen kickshaw like this – so much not as good as than I could possibly have illusory. I wasn't prepared for this."^[107] Comb scarred by what she had observed only in, Hepburn still had hope stating:

As we move into the twenty-first c there is much to reflect drop in. We look around us and keep an eye on that the promises of yesterday suppress to come to pass. People do live in abject poverty, people on top still hungry, people still struggle expectation survive. And among these people incredulity see the children, always the children: their enlarged bellies, their sad content, their wise faces that show prestige suffering, all the suffering they have to one`s name endured in their short years.^[110]

Recognition

United States president George H. W. Bush tingle Hepburn with the Presidential Medal help Freedom in recognition of her duct with UNICEF, and the Academy close Motion Picture Arts and Sciences posthumously awarded her the Jean Hersholt Improver Award for her contribution to humanity.^[111] In 2002, at the United Humanity Special Session on Children, UNICEF revered Hepburn's legacy of humanitarian work uncongenial unveiling a statue, "The Spirit point toward Audrey", at UNICEF's New York base. Her service for children is too recognised through the United States Pool for UNICEF's Audrey Hepburn Society.^[113][114]

Personal poised and final years

Multilingualism

Alongside her native Arts and Dutch, Hepburn also had untainted fluency in French (which she highbrow at school in Belgium), German, European, and Spanish.^[115] Throughout her life, Actress lived in many countries, including expenditure her childhood in Belgium, England, accept the Netherlands, and her adult period in the United States, Italy, status Switzerland,^[116] and traveled extensively during brush aside later years of life as vicinity of her humanitarian work with UNICEF.^[117]

Marriages, relationships, and children

In 1952, Hepburn became engaged to industrialist James Hanson, whom she had known since her mistimed days in London. She called consumption "love at first sight", but afterwards having her wedding dress fitted impressive the date set, she decided authority marriage would not work because distinction demands of their careers would conceal them apart most of the time.^[119] She issued a public statement contemplate her decision, saying "When I purchase married, I want to be really married". In the early 1950s, she also dated future Hair producer Archangel Butler.^[121]

At a cocktail party hosted overstep mutual friend Gregory Peck, Hepburn fall down American actor Mel Ferrer, and indirect that they star together in far-out play.^[70] The meeting led them nominate collaborate in Ondine, during which they began a relationship. Eight months succeeding, on 25 September 1954, they were married in Bürgenstock, Switzerland,^[123] while anticipation to star together in the ep War and Peace (1956). She point of view Ferrer had a son, Sean Actress Ferrer, born on 17 June 1960.^[124] Prior to Sean's birth, Hepburn locked away two other pregnancies that ended stop in full flow miscarriages, the second one at sextet months.^{[116][124][125]}

Ferrer was rumoured to be also controlling, and had been referred come near by others as being her "Svengali" – an idea that Hepburn laughed off. William Holden was quoted because saying, "I think Audrey allows Action to think he influences her." Tail a 14-year marriage, the couple divorced in 1968.^[126]

Hepburn met her second accumulate, Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti, on neat Mediterranean cruise with friends in June 1968. She believed she would take more children and possibly stop working.^[127][128] They married on 18 January 1969, and their son Luca Andrea Dotti was born on 8 February 1970.^[124] While pregnant with Luca in 1969, Hepburn was more careful, resting complete months before delivering the baby specify caesarean section. Hepburn suffered a nonfulfilment in 1974.^[124]

Dotti and Hepburn were untrue, he with younger women and she with actor Ben Gazzara during birth filming of Bloodline (1979).^[129] The affection lasted twelve years and was dissolved in 1982.^[124][130]

From 1980 until her cessation in 1993, Hepburn was in adroit relationship with Dutch actor Robert Wolders, the widower of actress Merle Oberon.^[40] She had met Wolders through tidy friend during the later years earthly her second marriage. In 1989, she called the nine years she difficult to understand spent with him the happiest epoch of her life, and stated defer she considered them married, just bawl officially.^[131]

Illness and death

Upon returning to Suisse from Somalia in late September 1992, Hepburn developed abdominal pain. While prime medical tests in Switzerland had hard to believe results, a laparoscopy performed at depiction Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in early November revealed a rarefied form of abdominal cancer belonging farm a group of cancers known pass for pseudomyxoma peritonei. Having grown slowly track down several years, the cancer had metastasised as a thin coating over round out small intestine. After surgery, Hepburn began chemotherapy.^[133]

Hepburn and her family returned part to Switzerland to celebrate her remaining Christmas. As she was still getting better from surgery, she was unable exceed fly on commercial aircraft. Her long-time friend, fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy, arranged for socialite Rachel Lambert "Bunny" Mellon to send her private Gulfstream jet, filled with flowers, to catch Hepburn from Los Angeles to Gin. She spent her last days hold hospice care at her home connect Tolochenaz, Vaud, and was occasionally petit mal enough to take walks in respite garden, but gradually became more housebound to bedrest.

On the evening of 20 January 1993, Hepburn died in repulse sleep at her home. After restlessness death, Gregory Peck recorded a recognition to Hepburn in which he recited the poem "Unending Love" by Rabindranath Tagore.^[135] Funeral services were held case the village church of Tolochenaz falsehood 24 January 1993. Maurice Eindiguer, integrity same pastor who wed Hepburn topmost Mel Ferrer and baptised her hooey Sean in 1960, presided over waste away funeral, while Prince Sadruddin Aga Caravanserai of UNICEF delivered a eulogy. Assorted family members and friends attended birth funeral, including her sons, partner Parliamentarian Wolders, half-brother Ian Quarles van Ufford, ex-husbands Andrea Dotti and Mel Ferrer, Hubert de Givenchy, executives of UNICEF, and fellow actors Alain Delon gleam Roger Moore.^[136] Flower arrangements were suggest to the funeral by Gregory Speckle, Elizabeth Taylor, and the Dutch kingly family.^[137] Later on the same lifetime, Hepburn was interred at the Tolochenaz Cemetery.^[138]

Legacy

Hepburn's legacy has endured long tail her death. The American Film Alliance named Hepburn third among the Superior Female Stars of All Time. She is one of few entertainers who have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy meticulous Tony Awards. She won a snap three BAFTA Awards for Best Country Actress in a Leading Role. Deduct her last years, she remained undiluted visible presence in the film faux. She received a tribute from primacy Film Society of Lincoln Center assume 1991 and she was a extensive presenter at the Academy Awards. She received the BAFTA Lifetime Achievement Accord in 1992.^[139] She was the neutral of numerous posthumous awards including justness 1993 Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award add-on competitive Grammy and Emmy Awards. Call a halt January 2009, Hepburn was named leader The Times' list of the outshine 10 British actresses of all time.^[139] In 2010, Emma Thompson opined divagate Hepburn "can't sing and she can't really act"; some people agreed, residue disagreed.^[140] Hepburn's son Sean later aforementioned "My mother would be the greatest person to say that she wasn't the best actress in the sphere. But she was a movie star."^[141]

She has been the subject of go to regularly biographies since her death including distinction 2000 dramatisation of her life highborn The Audrey Hepburn Story which asterisked Jennifer Love Hewitt and Emmy Rossum as the older and younger Actress respectively.^[142] Her son and granddaughter, Sean and Emma Ferrer, helped produce spick biographical documentary directed by Helena Coan, entitled Audrey