Audrey Hepburn Essay

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British actress, Audrey Hepburn, is recognized as a film and fashion icon. She radiated beauty and elegance throughout her career. She has been in many movies and is best known for her classic movies such as: Sabrina, Funny Face, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, My Fair Lady, and Roman Holiday. She received many awards throughout her life time, but it took a lot of hard work and determination. Many people don’t know much about her, her childhood and what she did before and after her career took off. Hepburn grew up in World War II. It was a hard time for her,but she had amazing courage through all of it. The problems Audrey faced throughout her childhood impacted who she was and who she would be when she was older. She persevered through a scary childhood and health problems she had to face when she was older. Throughout her life she never stopped persevering.
Audrey Hepburn was born on May 4, 1929 as Audrey Kathleen Ruston in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium. Hepburn’s father, Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston, was a British business man and her mother, Ella van Heemstra, was a Dutch aristocrat. Although Hepburn’s dad was born a Ruston, he decided to take of the surname of Hepburn- Ruston. Ruston mistakenly believed he was the descendent of James Hepburn, third husband of Mary, Queen of Scotts. From then on, Audrey Kathleen Ruston was known as Audrey Kathleen Hepburn- Ruston, whom everyone knows as Audrey Hepburn.
Since Hepburn’s dad was a businessman, their whole family traveled back and forth between the Netherlands, Belgium and England. When her dad left their family in 1935, the traveling ended and Hepburn’s mom decided to take her family and live in England. But in 1939, Britain declared war on Germany and Hepburn’s mother thought it w...

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...o come. At this time, director William Wyler was looking for an European actress to play the starring role of a princess in his new movie, a romantic comedy, Roman Holiday. Hepburn was asked to do a screen test by the executives at Paramount London office. Captivated with her performance, Wyler gave Hepburn the lead role. Gigi ran until May 31, 1952, and earned Hepburn a Theatre World Award and plenty of acknowledgment. When Gigi, ended, Hepburn flew to Rome to star in Roman Holiday. The movie was a smash hit and in 1953, Hepburn received the Academy Award for Best Actress when she was only 24 years old.
Recognized as Hollywood’s newest star, Hepburn was cast by Paramount to play Sabrina in the movie, Sabrina. Again she was nominated for Best Actress, but was beat out by Grace Kelly in The Country Girl. In 1954, Hepburn met and dated actor Mel Ferrer when they co-

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