Happy Birthday!
Fashion icon, movie star and muse, Audrey Hepburn was an amazing woman with an incredible life and career. Long after her passing she remains one of the world’s most recognizable and emulated stars. In celebration of her birthday today, let’s look at some of the events that shaped her into one of the most the most famous people in the world.
Photo via Imdb.com
Growing up during World War 2, she suffered from malnutrition, though that didn’t keep her from dancing. Having trained to be a ballerina since she was a small child, it was one of the ways she could raise money for the resistance and it set the bar for her humanitarian work later in life. After the war she moved to London, where she got a job as a chorus girl and continued to study ballet. She starred in several British films and became something of a sensation after her turn as Gigi in the 1951 play.
Photo via Imdb.com
Her next film, Roman Holiday, won her an Academy Award and set her on the path to superstardom. She was in several more movies before landing the role of a lifetime playing Holly Golightly, in an adaptation of the Truman Capote story, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The role that spawned thousands of post cards, posters, and other ephemera and inspired countless young women wasn’t even supposed to be Audrey’s in the first place. Originally, Capote wanted Marilyn for the role. It’s hard to imagine the impact that would have had on pop culture as we know it today, if it were Marilyn’s portrait instead of Audrey Hepburn’s sold at Ikea. The little black dress she wore at the beginning, designed by lifelong friend, Hubert Givenchy, has been called one of the most influential pieces of clothing in the 20th century.
Photo via Imdb.com
After several more pictures (including My Fair Lady) Audrey Hepburn became one of the few entertainers to win Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards. As time went on, she focused less on her film career and more on her role as a UNICEF ambassador, dedicating the rest of her life to helping impoverished children in other nations.
