Audrey Hepburn – Timeless Appeal
“After so many drive-in waitresses in movies, here is class, somebody who went to school, can spell and possibly play the girl single-handed may make bozooms a thing of the past.”
Billy Wilder
The appeal of actress Audrey Hepburn has more than survived the test of time and has, in fact, become timeless. Appearing on the outside, indistinct, innocent, and somewhat fragile with large, deep,and dark eyes, Audrey Hepburn was a distinctive personality that has successfully charmed generation after generation.
This young Englishwoman started with a stage debut in the non-musical version of Gigi and rose meteorically to stardom with her performance opposite Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday. She won the Best Actress in a Leading Role Oscar for this picture and her popularity, along with her career, never looked back. During her film career she would receive four additional Best Actress nominations.
Hepburn proved to be perfect for romantic comedy starring in the classics Sabrina, Funnyface, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. She was the every woman, beautiful, but not necessarily glamorous, sensual, but not overtly sexual, a woman whose naturalness appealed to both men and women.
Audrey Hepburn was certainly not limited to romantic comedy and could also shine in dramatic roles as she did in The Nun’s Story, Wait Until Dark, and Alfred Hitchcock’s Charade opposite Cary Grant. She imparted a freshness to her characters that audiences loved.
Her talent was also reflected on Broadway and she received a Tony Award in 1954 for her role in Ondine. Audrey Hepburn was as beautiful a person off-screen and she was on. During World War II she helped nurse soldiers at her father’s hospital and in 1993 was posthumously awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
In all, Audrey Hepburn would receive twenty-seven awards and be nominated for an additional twenty-four. She was recognized by everyone, the Oscars, the Emmys, the Golden Globes, the New York Film Critics, the Screen Actors Guild, the list goes on and on.
But, perhaps most personally satisfying to Audrey was her signing on as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF in 1988. Her own difficult childhood provided a commitment within her to help starving children around the world. To quote Ms. Hepburn…”Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, it’s at the end of your arm. As you get older, remember you have another hand – the first is to help yourself, the second is to help others.”
Her elegant beauty became her trademark and the world took notice. The next time you are in a shop or store, of any kind, that sells posters or wall hangings, take a will undoubtedly find a picture of Audrey Hepburn as her appeal is timeless.
