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Audrey Hepburn on screen and stage facts for kids

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Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday (cropped)
Hepburn as Princess Ann in Roman Holiday (1953)

Audrey Hepburn (1929–1993) was a Belgian actress who had an extensive career in film, television, and on the stage. Considered by some to be one of the most beautiful women of all time, she was ranked as the third greatest screen legend in American cinema by the American Film Institute. Hepburn is also remembered as both a film and style icon. Her debut was as a flight stewardess in the 1948 Dutch film Dutch in Seven Lessons. Hepburn then performed on the British stage as a chorus girl in the musicals High Button Shoes (1948), and Sauce Tartare (1949). Two years later, she made her Broadway debut as the title character in the play Gigi. Hepburn's Hollywood debut as a runaway princess in William Wyler's Roman Holiday (1953), opposite Gregory Peck, made her a star. For her performance, she received the Academy Award for Best Actress, the BAFTA Award for Best British Actress, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. In 1954, she played a chauffeur's daughter caught in a love triangle in Billy Wilder's romantic comedy Sabrina, opposite Humphrey Bogart and William Holden. In the same year, Hepburn garnered the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for portraying the titular water nymph in the play Ondine.

Her next role was as Natasha Rostova in the 1956 film adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. In 1957, Hepburn starred with Fred Astaire in the musical film Funny Face, and with Gary Cooper and Maurice Chevalier in Billy Wilder's Love in the Afternoon. Two years later, she appeared in the romantic adventure film Green Mansions, and played a nun in The Nun's Story. In 1961, Hepburn played café society girl Holly Golightly in the romantic comedy Breakfast at Tiffany's, and as a teacher accused of lesbianism in Wyler's drama The Children's Hour, opposite Shirley MacLaine. Two years later, she appeared opposite Cary Grant in the romantic mystery film Charade. Hepburn followed this by starring in the romantic comedy Paris When It Sizzles, opposite William Holden, and as Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle in the musical film My Fair Lady (both in 1964). In 1967, she played a blind woman menaced by criminals in her own home in the suspense thriller Wait Until Dark, which earned her a Best Actress Oscar nomination. Nine years later, Hepburn played Maid Marian opposite Sean Connery as Robin Hood in Robin and Marian.

Her final film appearance was a cameo as an angel in Steven Spielberg's Always (1989). Hepburn's final screen role was as the host of the television documentary series Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn (1993), for which she posthumously received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement – Informational Programming. In recognition of her career, Hepburn earned the Special Award from BAFTA, the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, and the Special Tony Award.

Film

Audrey Hepburn Roman Holiday cropped
In Roman Holiday (1953)
Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
1948 Dutch in Seven Lessons Stewardess Dutch: Nederlands in Zeven Lessen
1951 One Wild Oat Hotel receptionist Uncredited
Laughter in Paradise Cigarette girl
Lavender Hill Mob, TheThe Lavender Hill Mob Chiquita
Young Wives' Tale Eve Lester
1952 Secret People Nora Brentano
Monte Carlo Baby Linda Farrell
Melissa Farrell (French version)
Simultaneously filmed in both English and French
French: Nous irons à Monte-Carlo


1953 Roman Holiday Princess Ann Academy Award for Best Actress
1954 Sabrina Sabrina Fairchild UK: Sabrina Fair
1956 War and Peace Natasha Rostova
1957 Funny Face Jo Stockton
Love in the Afternoon Ariane Chavasse
1959 Green Mansions Rima
Nun's Story, TheThe Nun's Story Sister Luke
1960 Unforgiven, TheThe Unforgiven Rachel Zachary
1961 Breakfast at Tiffany's Holly Golightly
Children's Hour, TheThe Children's Hour Karen Wright
1963 Charade Regina Lampert
1964 Paris When It Sizzles Gabrielle Simpson
My Fair Lady Eliza Doolittle
1966 How to Steal a Million Nicole Bonnet
1967 Two for the Road Joanna Wallace
Wait Until Dark Susy Hendrix
1976 Robin and Marian Maid Marian
1979 Bloodline Elizabeth Roffe
1981 They All Laughed Angela Niotes
1989 Always Hap

Television

Audrey Hepburn Mel Ferrer Mayerling 1957
With Mel Ferrer in the teleplay Mayerling (1957)
Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
1950 Saturday Night Revue Unknown 3 episodes

1951 Sunday Night Theatre Celia Episode: "The Silent Village"
1952 Toast of the Town Jane Grey, LadyLady Jane Grey Episode: "Nine Days a Queen"
CBS Television Workshop Virginia Forsythe Episode: "Rainy Day at Paradise Junction"
1957 Producers' Showcase Mary Vetsera Episode: "Mayerling"
1970 A World of Love Herself UNICEF special
1987 Love Among Thieves Caroline DuLac Television film
1988 American Masters Herself Episode: "Directed by William Wyler"; Documentary
Gregory Peck: His Own Man Documentary
1993 Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn Documentary series

Stage

Year(s) Title Role Theatre Notes Ref(s)
1948–1949 High Button Shoes Chorus girl London Hippodrome
1949 Sauce Tartare Chorus girl Cambridge Theatre
1950 Sauce Piquante Featured player Cambridge Theatre
1951–1952 Gigi Gigi Fulton Theatre 24 November 1951 – 31 May 1952
1954 Ondine Ondine 46th Street Theatre 18 February 1954 – 3 July 1954

See also

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