It’s already our 10th stop on the Road to the Stars and today we are looking at the other famous Hepburn actress (no connection to Katharine Hepburn though). Yes, I’m talking about Audrey Hepburn.
Born May 4th, 1929, in Belgium, Audrey Hepburn was a British actress and humanitarian, renowned for her elegance, grace, and timeless beauty. She rose to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s.
She got her breakthrough in 1953 and became the first actress to win an Oscar, a Golden Globe Award, and a BAFTA Award for a single performance (she also won a Tony Award the same year). She continued starring in successful movies, appearing in romances, thrillers, musicals, and dramas. After 1967, she entered a semi-retirement period to care for her family.
Audrey Hepburn is also a fashion icon, a status elevated by her lifelong collaboration with French fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy, and a humanitarian–she was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF in 1989 and received the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992.
She passed away on January 20, 1993, in Tolochenaz, Switzerland.
The First 7 Movies to Watch Starring Audrey Hepburn
Roman Holiday (1953)
Roman Holiday is a classic romantic comedy directed by William Wyler, but also Audrey Hepburn’s breakout role as Princess Ann earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress.
This is the story of Princess Ann (Hepburn), a young European princess who, while on a diplomatic tour of Europe, becomes overwhelmed by her tightly scheduled and regimented life. One night, feeling stifled by her responsibilities and longing for a taste of freedom, Princess Ann decides to escape from her embassy in Rome. She encounters American journalist Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) who initially fails to recognize her.
Joe offers her shelter for the night, unaware of her true identity. The next morning, he realizes who Princess Ann is and sees an opportunity for a sensational story. He convinces his photographer friend Irving (Eddie Albert) to secretly capture photos of the princess as she explores Rome, under the guise of an ordinary tourist named “Anya Smith.” As Princess Ann revels in her newfound freedom, she and Joe develop a genuine connection and romantic attraction.
I find Roman Holiday to be charming at times, but I didn’t get into the whole premise, the journalist using his knowledge to try to exploit a young woman searching for some air to breathe for a day or two, that just didn’t click for me, but I might be in the minority.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
Directed by Blake Edwards, Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a classic romantic comedy-drama directed by Blake adapted from Truman Capote’s 1958 novella about a struggling writer and the eccentric girl he falls in love with.
Holly Golightly (Hepburn) is a charming and enigmatic socialite who leads a glamorous but ultimately empty lifestyle. She is known for her beauty, style, and penchant for expensive jewelry, often epitomized by her visits to the Tiffany & Co. jewelry store on Fifth Avenue, where she enjoys breakfast while gazing into the store’s windows.
Paul Varjak (George Peppard) is a writer who has just moved into the apartment building where Holly lives, and becomes intrigued by her unconventional lifestyle. Despite their differences, the two form a close friendship as they navigate their respective challenges and search for meaning in their lives.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s has some dated elements (Mickey Rooney’s role mainly), but Hepburn’s portrayal of Holly Golightly is iconic and remains one of her most memorable roles. Also, it’s a fun and touching movie.
Sabrina (1954)
It’s the third time I’m writing about Billy Wilder’s Sabrina as I already evoked the movie in my articles about Humphrey Bogart and William Holden. But if you didn’t check those out, this is another romantic comedy, but Audrey Hepburn is this time stuck in a love triangle.
The story revolves around Sabrina Fairchild (Hepburn), the chauffeur’s daughter of the wealthy Larrabee family, who lives on Long Island. Sabrina has harbored a longtime crush on David Larrabee (Holden), the younger and more carefree brother of the family. However, David, a playboy who has never taken Sabrina seriously, is about to marry into another wealthy family for financial gain.
After Sabrina returns from a transformative stint in Paris, where she studied cooking and fashion, she captures the attention of both David (Bogart) and his older, more serious brother Linus. Linus, who is the responsible head of the family’s business empire, initially views Sabrina as a potential threat to David’s impending marriage and the family’s reputation.
Three great performances. One of the greatest directors in movie history. What more do you want? I think that Sabrina cemented the trend of putting Audrey Hepburn in the role of the romantic interest of older men. Beyond that, I only have good things to say about this movie.
Funny Face (1957)
Bonjour Paris!! A musical romantic comedy directed by Stanley Donen, Funny Face strangely paired Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire, and it kinda worked.
Jo Stockton (Hepburn) is a shy and bookish young woman who works as a sales clerk in a bookstore in Greenwich Village, New York. She dreams of becoming a serious philosopher and intellectual, but her life takes an unexpected turn when she is discovered by fashion photographer Dick Avery (Astaire), who sees her potential as a model.
Dick convinces Jo to become the face of a high-fashion campaign for the upscale magazine Quality. Despite her initial reluctance, Jo agrees to the opportunity, and she is whisked away to Paris, where she is transformed into a glamorous model under the guidance of fashion editor Maggie Prescott (Kay Thompson). As Jo navigates the glamorous world of high fashion, she becomes entangled in a romantic and professional relationship with Dick, who is captivated by her natural beauty and intellect.
Funny Face is a really silly movie that will teach you about empathy, strangely. It’s full of colorful musical numbers and beautiful dresses. It’s quite fun and ridiculous, and I strangely quote it regularly.
My Fair Lady (1964)
My Fair Lady is a musical film directed by George Cukor based on the Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s play “Pygmalion.” The Circle of Art.
The story revolves around Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn), a Cockney flower girl with a strong accent and rough manners, who aspires to rise above her station in life. One rainy night, Eliza encounters Professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison), a phonetics expert and confirmed bachelor, who is intrigued by her distinctive way of speaking. Higgins boasts to his friend Colonel Pickering (Wilfrid Hyde-White) that he can transform Eliza into a proper lady by teaching her to speak “proper” English.
Eliza agrees to Higgins’ challenge, and she becomes his pupil, enduring grueling lessons in pronunciation, grammar, and etiquette. As Eliza’s language and manners improve, tensions arise between her and Higgins, who treats her more like an experiment than a human being. Despite his initial indifference, Higgins begins to develop feelings for Eliza, though he struggles to express them.
My Fair Lady is one of my movie blindspots, mostly because of its length, almost 3 hours. One day I’ll watch it and I’ll give you my quick opinion, it’s a promise.
Charade (1963)
Directed by Stanley Donen, Charade is a stylish thriller that pairs Hepburn with Cary Grant in a tale of romance, suspense, and intrigue set against the backdrop of Paris. Hepburn’s chemistry with Grant and her portrayal of a widow caught up in a web of deception make this film a standout in her career.
The story follows Regina “Reggie” Lampert (Audrey Hepburn), a young American woman living in Paris, who returns home from a ski trip to discover that her husband has been murdered. Reggie soon learns that her late husband was involved in a complex web of deceit and espionage, and she finds herself pursued by mysterious figures who believe she knows the whereabouts of a large sum of stolen money.
Enter Peter Joshua (Cary Grant), a charming and enigmatic stranger who offers to help Reggie navigate the dangerous world she has unwittingly become entangled in. As the two embark on a whirlwind adventure across Paris, Reggie must decipher cryptic clues left by her late husband and uncover the truth about his secret life.
A Hitchcockian thriller with style, humor, memorable dialogs, and obviously a great cast. Charade is a favorite of mine, I highly recommend it.
The Nun’s Story (1959)
Based on the novel of the same name by Kathryn Hulme, The Nun’s Story is a dramatic film directed by Fred Zinnemann about faith, identity, and the search for meaning in a complex and challenging world.
Gabrielle (Audrey Hepburn), known as “Gabrielle” or “Gabri,” enters the convent of the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary in Belgium. Initially filled with idealism and a desire to serve God, Gabrielle undergoes the rigorous training and discipline of convent life, including vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
As Gabrielle progresses through her training and takes her vows, she grapples with the challenges of living a life of strict religious devotion while confronting her own doubts, fears, and desires. She forms close bonds with her fellow novices and the sisters who mentor her, including Sister Marie (played by Edith Evans) and Mother Mathilde (played by Peggy Ashcroft). Despite her dedication to her faith and her desire to serve others, Gabrielle struggles to conform to the rigid expectations of convent life and the demands placed upon her by the order’s superiors.
The Nun’s Story is another one I have yet to see, I’ll need to remedy that.
Do you need more Audrey Hepburn Movies to check out?
Beyond this main selection of Audrey Hepburn movies, I have also watched the thriller Wait Until Dark (1967) directed by Terence Young in which the actress plays a blind woman who becomes the target of a group of criminals searching for a hidden fortune in her apartment. Pretty good.
In a different genre, William Wyler’s How to Steal a Million (1966) is a fun heist movie with a dash of romance about the daughter of an art forger in Paris who has to work with an art thief played by Peter O’Toole to steal one of her father’s forgery before it could be authenticated in order to save his reputation.
Among the other ones I have yet to watch, I would say that there is Love in the Afternoon (1957) directed by Billy Wilder, a romance that paired Audrey Hepburn with Gary Cooper; Stanley Donen’s Two for the Road (1967) about a married couple played by Hepburn and Albert Finney; and Paris When It Sizzles (1964) directed by Richard Quine, mostly because it reunited William Holden and Audrey Hepburn.
THE ROAD TO THE STARS COLUMN IS A PERSONAL TENTATIVE TO DRAW A MAP TO START EXPLORING ACTORS’ FILMOGRAPHIES.
