Audrey Hepburn (May 4, 1929 – January 20, 1993) was a legendary actress and humanitarian, a true icon of both film and fashion whose elegant grace, gamine charm, and innate sophistication made her one of the most beloved and recognizable stars in history.
Born into an aristocratic European family and trained as a ballet dancer, Hepburn shot to international stardom with her American film debut in Roman Holiday (1953). For her performance as the enchanting Princess Ann, she became the first actress to win an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA Award for a single role. She continued to define cinematic elegance in a string of classics, including the romantic comedy Sabrina (1954), the musical Funny Face (1957), and the thrilling caper Charade (1963) opposite Cary Grant.
Two of her roles cemented her status as a cultural immortal: the free-spirited Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) and the transformed Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle in the lavish musical My Fair Lady (1964). One of the few people to have won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards (EGOT), she devoted much of her later life to humanitarian work. As a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, she traveled the world tirelessly, using her fame to advocate for the world’s most vulnerable children and earning the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her efforts.
