On May 4, 1929 in Brussels, Belgium Audrey Kathleen Hepburn Ruston was born. Her Father was a wealthy English Banker, and her Mother was a Dutch baroness. Her parents divorced and she went to live with her mother in London were she went to a private girl school. She continued to go to private schools when her mother and her moved back to Netherlands. Her and her mother went on vacation to Arnhem, Holland, and while they were there Hitler’s army took over the town, during this time Audrey suffered from depression and malnutrition. After the war, Audrey moved to London and went to ballet school. While in London she began a modeling career, and while she was modeling a movie producer saw her and signed her to do “Netherlands in 7 Lessen” after being in 8 movies in Europe she decided to move to America.
In 1953 she made her first American film which was “Roman Holiday” with Gregory Peck, and in 1954 she got nominated and won The Best Actresses in a Leading Role at The Academy Awards. This would be her only Oscar award for her acting. After that she became a huge hollywood success, and became known for her simple and elegant look, and for her style of fashion, and known for putting style back in hollywood.
On September 25, 1954 She married Mel Ferrer, and she had a son Sean H. Ferrer. She went on to make other classic movies like: “Sabrina” with Humphrey Bogart and William Holden, which brought her her second Best Actress Academy Award Nomination in 1955, but lost to Grace Kelly in “The Country Girl”.She went on to make “War and Peace” with Henry Fonda and Mel Ferrer, “Funny Face” with Fred Astaire, “Love in the Afternoon” with Gary Cooper, “The Nun Story” which earned her third Best Actresses Academy Award Nomination, but she lost to Simone Signoret in “Room at the Top”.
In 1961 she made her most popular movie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” which earned her her fourth Best Actress Academy Award Nomination in 1962, but lost to Sophia Loren in “La Ciociara”.She then went on to make “The Cildren’s Hour” with James Garner and Shirley MacLaine, “Charade” with Cary Grant, “My Fair Lady” which is another one of her most popular movies, “Wait until Dark” which earned her her fifth Best Actress Academy Award Nomination in 1968, but lost to Katherine Hepburn in “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”. In 1968, she divorced her first husband Mel Ferrer, and while she was still on top she decided to retire from the movie business.
On January 18, 1969 she married Andrea Dotti, and had a son Luca Dotti. In the late 70’s and the 80’ she made a few more movies like: “Robin and Marian”, “Bloodline”, “Love Among Thieves” and made her last movie in 1989 “Always”. In 1982 , she divorced her second husband Andrea Dotti. In 1988 she became a special ambassador to the United Nations UNICEF fund helping children in Latin America and Africa.
On January 20, 1993 in Tolochnaz, Switzerland Audrey Hepburn passed away of colon cancer. In 1993 The Academy Awards honored Audrey Hepburn with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. In 1999 The American Film Institute name Audrey Hepburn the third Best Actress of all time.
