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Audrey Hepburn

Born: May 4, 1929

Body Measurements: Reported as 34-20-34 inches (86-51-86 cm)

Physical Features: Slender, graceful, long neck, expressive eyes.

What Made Her Erotic: Hepburn's elegance, innocence, and unique beauty made her an unconventional but enduring symbol of feminine allure.

Early Life

Audrey Kathleen Ruston was born to a Dutch noblewoman, Ella van Heemstra, and Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston, a British subject, in Ixelles, Brussels. Her early years were spent in Belgium, England, and the Netherlands, giving her a cosmopolitan upbringing. During WWII, she lived in the Netherlands, where she suffered malnutrition and witnessed the horrors of occupation. She later supported the Dutch resistance by performing secret ballet shows to raise money and carrying messages for the resistance. These experiences shaped her empathy and later humanitarian work.

Ballet and Early Career

After the war, Hepburn studied ballet in Amsterdam with Sonia Gaskell and in London with Marie Rambert. Due to the effects of wartime malnutrition, she was told she would not become a prima ballerina, so she turned to acting. She began as a chorus girl in West End musicals and had minor film roles before her breakthrough.

Notable Roles

  • "Funny Face" (1957): Showcased her singing and dancing alongside Fred Astaire, further cementing her as a fashion icon.
  • "The Nun's Story" (1959): Critically acclaimed dramatic role, earning her another Oscar nomination.
  • "My Fair Lady" (1964): Played Eliza Doolittle in the lavish musical, a role surrounded by controversy over her singing being dubbed, but widely praised for her performance.
  • "Charade" (1963), "How to Steal a Million" (1966), "Wait Until Dark" (1967): Demonstrated her range in comedy, thriller, and suspense.
  • Later films: "Robin and Marian" (1976), "Bloodline" (1979), "They All Laughed" (1981), and a cameo in "Always" (1989).

Cultural Impact

  • Hepburn's style and elegance influenced generations of fashion designers and remains a reference point for classic beauty. She was a muse for Hubert de Givenchy, who designed many of her most famous looks, including the "little black dress" in "Breakfast at Tiffany's."
  • She challenged the era's beauty standards, making slender, graceful figures and natural looks aspirational, in contrast to contemporaries like Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte Bardot.
  • Her partnership with Givenchy helped define the relationship between Hollywood and haute couture.
  • Hepburn's humanitarian work with UNICEF redefined the public image of a Hollywood star, blending glamour with compassion. She worked in some of the world's poorest regions, advocating for children and earning the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
  • She is one of the few entertainers to achieve EGOT status (winning Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards).
  • Her image remains iconic in popular culture, advertising, and fashion, and she is frequently cited as one of the most beautiful and stylish women of all time.

Humanitarian Work

Hepburn became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1989, motivated by her own experiences of wartime hunger. She undertook field missions to Ethiopia, Turkey, South America, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Somalia, raising global awareness of child suffering. Her compassion and hands-on approach set a new standard for celebrity activism. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her work.

Personal Life

Hepburn was married twice: to actor Mel Ferrer (1954–1968, one son, Sean) and to Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti (1969–1982, one son, Luca). Her later years were spent with Dutch actor Robert Wolders, whom she called the love of her life. She lived in Switzerland, valuing privacy and family. Hepburn was multilingual, speaking English, Dutch, French, Italian, Spanish, and some German.

She died of a rare form of abdominal cancer (pseudomyxoma peritonei) in 1993 at age 63. Her funeral in Tolochenaz, Switzerland, was attended by family, friends, and colleagues from around the world.

Legacy and Influence

Hepburn is ranked by the American Film Institute as the third-greatest female screen legend of Classic Hollywood. She is a style icon, known for her minimalism, gamine look, and partnership with Givenchy. Her influence endures in fashion, film, and humanitarianism. She is often compared and contrasted with contemporaries like Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, and Brigitte Bardot, each representing different ideals of beauty and femininity.

Her image is widely used in advertising, and her film costumes fetch record prices at auction. She is the subject of numerous biographies, documentaries, and tributes, including the 2020 documentary "Audrey."

See Also

Additional Physical Details

See above for details. Distinctive features: Thick eyebrows, pixie haircut, long neck, expressive eyes, slender frame, and graceful posture.

References and Further Reading

This entry cross-references other icons of feminine allure and style. For more on the evolution of beauty standards and the cultural impact of Hollywood icons, see related entries.

  • Distinctive features: Thick eyebrows, pixie haircut, long neck, and expressive eyes.