Audrey Hepburn
Articles
Historical Quotes
Audrey Hepburn
By Tom Kirvan
One of America’s most beloved actresses, Audrey Hepburn earned five Academy Award nominations during her film career and yet she may have made more of an impact later in life as a special ambassador for UNICEF, the United Nations’ fund for children.
In her charitable role, Hepburn traveled around the globe raising money and awareness for the UN organization, while also serving as an eloquent voice for UNICEF’s humanitarian work. In 1992, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George H.W. Bush during a special ceremony at her home as she was in the final stages of a battle with colon cancer that claimed her life on January 20, 1993 at the age of 63.
“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other,” said Hepburn, noting in her ever-optimistic style that “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible!’”
Born in Belgium, Hepburn and her aristocratic mother fled the Netherlands when the Nazis invaded that country during World War II. The war in Europe left a permanent mark on her family as an uncle and a cousin were executed, while one of her brothers was interned in a Nazi labor camp.
She began to attract attention as an up-and-coming actress in 1951 when she appeared in the theatrical adaptation of “Gigi” at New York City’s Fulton Theater. Less than two years later, she won an Academy Award for her performance in “Roman Holiday,” a movie also starring Gregory Peck. Hepburn received Oscar nominations for her roles in “Sabrina,” “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “A Nun’s Story,” and “Wait Until Dark.” Adding even more luster to her acting career, Hepburn was one of a select few to have been awarded an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award.
“I was born with an enormous need for affection, and a terrible need to give it,” Hepburn said of her charitable work, adding, “You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him.”