Despite her being the daughter of a Dutch baroness (Ella Van Heemstra) and a wealthy English banker, Audrey Hepburn had a difficult childhood. Her parents divorced when she was young and Audrey went to live with her mother in the Netherlands. Soon after, the German army invaded Holland. During the Nazi occupation, Audrey's uncle and a cousin were executed for supporting the Resistance and her brother was placed in a labour camp. Her family faced starvation and Audrey suffered from severe anemia, respiratory problems and edema.
Audrey was sixteen when the occupation ended. She and her mother returned to London, where Audrey earned a ballet scholarship and began dancing in small revues, modelling, and playing bit parts in films. Herbig break cae when the French novelist, Colette, discovered her in a crowd and insisted that Hepburn be cast as Gigi in a Broadway adaptation of her novel. In spite of Hepburn's inexperience, she triumphed and audiences and critics alike were captivated by her performance. Subsequently, William Wyler chose her to be the lead in Roman Holiday, opposite Gregory Peck - the role for which she won the Best Actress Oscar. She then returned to Broadway to star in Ondine, winning a Tony for her performance. Audrey's co-star in that show was Mel Ferrer, who became her husband in 1960.
From 1953 to 1967, Audrey Hepburn starred in a number of successful movies, receiving critical acclaim and establishing strong box-office appeal. Among her most memorable performances were Sabrina (1954, Hepburn's second Oscar nomination), Funny Face (1957), Love in the Afternoon (1957), The Nun's Story (1959, Oscar nomination number three), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961, a fourth Oscar nomination), My Fair Lady (1964), Two for the Road (1967), and Wait Until Dark (1967, the fifth Oscar nomination).
After 1967, Hepburn took leave from film making to raise her son, Sean Ferrer. However, in 1968 she and Mel Ferrer divorced. Shethen married Andrea Dotti, an Italian psychologist, and had a son, Luca, with him. They separated in 1970, although their divorce was not finalised until 1980. Dutch actor Robbie Wolders was her companion until her death.
Audrey Hepburn became a goodwill ambassador and spokesperson for UNICEF in 1986. Travelling to areas afflicted by famine and devastation, Hepburn worked to raise public awareness of the plight faced by children in times of crisis - for example in Ethiopia during the famine, or more recently in war-torn Somalia. Her commitment to alleviate the suffering of children was intense and genuine.
Soon after her trip to Somalia in 1991, Hepburn was diagnosed with colon cancer. She was too ill to accept in person the Screen Actors Guild award for lifetime achievement in 1992. In 1993, Audrey was diagnosed with colon cancer and died at the age of 63 in Tolchenaz,Switzerland. She was posthumously awarded the 1993 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Jean Hershold Humanitarian Award.
Another Audrey Hepburn 's Links
Audrey Hepburn 's Official Homepage
Unforgettable : Audrey
Audrey Hepburn : A Biography
Tansy's Audrey Hepburn Page
Kersti 's Audrey Hepburn Page
Wild Oat's Audrey Hepburn Page
Arie's Audrey Hepburn Tribute Page
Index-Audrey Hepburn Online