Sun, 3 Nov 2013

The Beautiful Actress Audrey Hepburn


Audrey Hepburn, born Audrey Kathleen Ruston in 1929, is one of the most popular actresses of her time. She defined grace, beauty and elegance and she was truly a brilliant actress, having starred in some of the most iconic films of all time such as Breakfast at Tiffany's and Sabrina.

Later in life, she became a humanitarian and a philanthropist, which, according to her is her life's biggest achievement. According to the American Film Institute, she is the third greatest actress of all time and is also in the hall of fame of the International Best Dressed List.


Audrey Hepburn a Ballet Dancer and Actress


Audrey Hepburn's career is something to draw inspiration from. She first dreamed of becoming a prima ballerina and so took up ballet in Amsterdam under Sonia Gaskell, a Lithuanian dance teacher. When Audrey moved to London in 1948, she dabbled on more studying of ballet under Marie Rambert, a famous polish dancer and choreographer. She then started working as a chorus girl for some West End Theater Productions. When the writer Collette saw her at a stage production, she initially told the producers that she has found their "Gigi".


Audrey Hepburn on Broadway and in Movies


She then went on to star in this Broadway play and became famous; after which, she was casted in the film "Roman Holiday" with Gregory Peck. Audrey won her first acting award for the film. She was named as the Academy Awards' Best Actress which gave her more recognition and respect from the film industry.

She went on to star in more films such as "Sabrina", "The Nun's Story" and the unforgettable "Breakfast at Tiffany's". It was reported that Truman Capote, the author of Breakfast at Tiffany's, lobbied for Marilyn Monroe to play Holly Golightly but the movie executives wanted Audrey to play the part and so she did.


Hepburn Became a Fashion Icon


Audrey owned Holly Golightly and now, both Audrey and Holly are considered as some of the greatest fashion icons of all time. Who could ever forget that little black dress and that string of pearls? Audrey surely made history with that film. After that, she starred in even more films such as "Charade", "My Fair Lady", and "Wait Until Dark".


Awards


Aside from winning Academy Awards, she also won some Golden Globes, and a BAFTA. And, after starring in the play "Ondine", she won a Tony. She is the only actress known to have acquired all four awards. She was also the first actress to win an acting award for all three major award giving bodies namely the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes and a BAFTA for her performance in "Roman Holiday".


Audrey Hepburn's Personal Life

But while Audrey Hepburn's career flourished, her personal life suffered. Clearly, you really cannot have the best of both worlds. She was involved with a married man named William Holden who promised to marry her but whom she broke up with after she found out that the latter had undergone Vasectomy. She then met Mel Ferrer, an American actor, and married him in 1954. She endured his philandering and his domineering ways because she wanted to have children.

She suffered two miscarriages before finally getting pregnant and giving birth to their only son, Lucerne, in 1960. She and Mel broke up in 1968 and a couple months later, Audrey married the Italian doctor, Andrea Dotti. They had a son named Luca who was born in 1982. After which, she became involved with the Dutch actor Robert Wolders and they stayed together until her death in 1993.

Later in life, Audrey started doing work for the UNICEF and said that it was the best thing she ever did. After a trip to Somalia in 1992, she discovered that she had abdominal cancer. She returned to Switzerland and there spent the rest of her life.

Audrey still serves as an inspiration to many.



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