Audrey Hepburn Research Paper

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Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe, two of the most renowned actresses in Hollywood, rose to fame during the 1950s. These iconic women both achieved great eminence, fruitful careers, and were able to make their mark on the world. Unquestionably, both actresses can be deemed as two of the most iconic women of their time. Though seemingly dissimilar on the surface, Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe have more in common than meets the eye. Audrey Hepburn was born Audrey Kathleen Ruston, on May 4th, 1929, in Belgium’s capital, Brussels. Her father leaving early on, Hepburn grew up in the Netherlands with her mother, during WWII. Having to witness the Nazis murdering her uncle, and then sending her stepbrother away to a work camp, Hepburn …show more content…

Like Hepburn, Monroe had a very difficult childhood. Being that her mother was mentally ill and had to be institutionalized, as well as her father being completely absent, Monroe bounced around foster homes and spent a total of two years in an orphanage (A&E). As Hepburn grew up during WWII, Monroe grew up during the Great Depression, having only one dress to wear to school, and having to wait for day old bread. In 1937, a couple that were friends of Monroe’s mother, Grace and Doc Goddard, took her in for a few years. Unfortunately, when the Goddard’s had to move bc of Doc’s job, they weren’t able to take Marilyn with them because of money shortages (A&E). Amongst the many troubles she faced during her young life, having being in all those foster homes, Monroe faced sexual abuse, sexual assault, and later stating that she had also been raped when she was only eleven years old. Luckily, she was able to find a way out of the dreadful situation by marrying her then-boyfriend Jimmy Dougherty on June 19th, 1942 (A&E). Also like Audrey, Marilyn worked incredibly hard to obtain her goals. She was a girl with big dreams, sometimes even going without eating so she could pay for acting, dancing, and singing classes. The beginning of her stardom was the moment when Monroe was discovered by a photographer in the munitions factory where she worked. By 1946, newly divorced Marilyn was not only an established model, but she had also dipped her foot into Hollywood when she signed her first movie contract. Similar to Hepburn, Monroe starred in little roles before she made it big. With parts in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve, she wasn’t considered to be star material until she drew a lot of attention through her mediocre roles. Finally, she was given star quality roles in movies such as Niagra, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and How to Marry a

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