Audrey Hepburn
She was a role model, an award-winning actress, later a fashion and cultural icon, daughter, and the only child, of a wealthy English banker and a Dutch baroness.
She was born on May 4th, 1929 in Brussels, Belgium, and actually she was blue-blood from the beginning. After the divorce of her parents, she and her mother went to London. In London she went to a private girls school, but later, after her mother moved back to the Netherlands, she suffered from a depression and malnutrition because of the hard times during the Nazi occupation.
After the long awaited liberation, Audrey went to a famous and big ballet school located in London, and later on began a modeling career. Her life as a model was graceful and sometimes it seemed like she had found her niche in life. She was beautiful and she became a symbol of style, class and elegance – raising everything she touched.
While during a model job, a producer spotted her, and she was fast signed to be a part of a new world – the acting-world. Later she had a speaking role in the film Young Wives’ tale, but it was not a big role. She wanted more. She wanted something greater, and at the age of 22 she headed to New York to try her luck over there.
She fast gained her enormous popularity, and finally she reached her breakthrough.
In her role in “Roman Holiday”, she became very famous, and loved by the audience, but also by the young people, and especially the female part. She also received an Oscar as Best Actress after the smashing success, “Roman Holiday”, and that gained her enormous success and more plum roles.
But she did not only become an amazing actress, she also became a big role model, because of her innocence personality, her curve-less body; her innocent beauty and her sense of fashion. She was unlike the sex-goddesses of the time with lots of curves and sex appeal.
The smashing success from 1953 was followed by another amazing and wonderful performance in 1957. Funny Face also became a big success, and many other successful movies followed in the years. In 1959 she received yet another nomination for the role in the movie “the nun”, and later she reached the pinnacle of her career after playing Holly Golightly in the film “The girl Holly” from 1961.
But most importantly, we must not forget her most radiant role in the unforgettable and timeless production of “My Fair Lady” from the year 1964.
Besides her life in the spotlight, she also showed her loving and caring side, and in 1988 Audrey became a very special ambassador to the United Nations fund, UNICEF She wanted to help children in Latin America and Africa – and she retained the position until 1993.
Lets summarize; She started with nothing but her beauty, but she climbed a mountain all the way to the top. She fell down, walked through a valley of evil and depression, she felt the success of being spotted and carried all the way to Broadway, to fame, to love and everlasting popularity. She volunteered in Latin America and Africa, and she became a very big part of helping poor children in the southern part of America and Africa. And unfortunately she ended her days on January 20th, 1993 in Tolochnaz in Switzerland from appendicular cancer.
She accomplished many things, and one thing I know for sure; Her 31 high quality movies, her elegance, her beauty and style will always be remembered in film history – And she deserves to be a part of “the top 100 movie-stars of all time”, and a place among the stars, literally.