Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn was a star amongst the stars. An icon of film and fashion and a humanitarian who dedicated herself to helping those in need.

Born in Brussels, Belgium, in 1929, Audrey lived in the Netherlands during World War II, surrounded by the Holocaust. "More than once I was at the station seeing trainloads of Jews being transported, seeing all these faces over the top of the wagon. I remember, very sharply, one little boy standing with his parents on the platform, very pale, very blond, wearing a coat that was much too big for him, and he stepped on the train. I was a child observing a child," she said.

While just entering her teenage years then, Audrey helped support the resistance movements. She carried coded messages tucked away in her shoes and used her ballet performing talent to raise money by giving dance recitals.

After the war, Audrey continued studying ballet. But she soon shifted focus to acting after being told that while talented, becoming a prima ballerina would not be possible because of her height, along with some impacts from malnutrition during the war.

She made her acting debut in 1948. But stardom came a few years later with her starring role in Roman Holiday in 1953. The director said about selecting Audrey for the part, "She had everything I was looking for: charm, innocence, and talent. She also was very funny. She was absolutely enchanting."

Audrey would star in many films throughout a career that lasted decades, receiving many accolades along the way, including the Screen Actors Guild Achievement Award in 1993. Shortly after, Audrey passed away at home in Switzerland at sixty-three.

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Sources: Audrey Hepburn Wikipedia / Portrait of Audrey is a Paramount-photo by Bud Fraker, taken in 1956 - Wikimedia Commons / How to be Lovely‎ by Melissa Hellstern, published in 2005 / Woodward, Ian. Audrey Hepburn: Fair Lady of the Screen. United Kingdom, Ebury Publishing, 2012.