Audrey Hepburn

She was voted the 18th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere Magazine.

As of 2005, she is one of only nine performers to win an Oscar, a Tony, an Emmy and a Grammy Award.

The US Postal Service issued a 37 cent commemorative stamp honoring her as a Hollywood legend and humanitarian (2003).

Like Humphrey Bogart, Hepburn also starred in five of the movies listed by American Film Institute in its Top 100 U.S. love stories (2002). They are Roman Holiday (1953), ranked #4 on the list, Sabrina (1954) ranked #54, which co-starred Bogart, My Fair Lady (1964) ranked #12, Two for the Road (1967) at #57 and Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) #61.

Is portrayed by Jennifer Love Hewitt in The Audrey Hepburn Story (2000)

Ranked #50 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list. [October 1997]

In 1996 the British magazine Harpers & Queen conducted a poll to find the most fascinating women of our time. She was in the #1 spot.

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#8). [1995]

Died on January 20, 1993, the day of Bill Clinton's first inauguration as President of the United States and the 67th birthday of Patricia Neal. They starred together in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961).

Hepburn was diagnosed with appendiceal cancer on November 1, 1992 (not colon cancer, as it is often mistakenly called). The cancer spread into the lining of her small intestine. She had one foot of intestine removed in surgery and went through chemotherapy, but in a second surgery it was decided that the cancer had spread too far and could not be treated. Her son Sean Hepburn Ferrer believes it had probably been developing over the course of the previous five years.

Chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world. [1990]

Her last film was Always (1989) in 1989.

In 1988, she became a special ambassador to the United Nations UNICEF fund helping children in Latin America and Africa, a position she retained until 1993. She was named to People's magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world.

From 1980 until her death, she lived together in Switzerland with her partner, Dutch actor Robert Wolders.

Her biggest film regret was not getting the Anne Bancroft role in The Turning Point (1977). "That was the one film", she later admitted, "that got away from me."

According to director William Friedkin, Audrey was Warner Bros. first choice for the role of Chris MacNeil in The Exorcist--The Version You've Never Seen Before (1973) after her box-office successes with the studio's productions The Nun's Story (1959), My Fair Lady (1964) and Wait Until Dark (1967). She would only agree to star if the film were made in Rome, so that she would be able to remain home to raise her sons. Both Friedkin and writer William Peter Blatty rejected the proposal, and eventually cast Ellen Burstyn.

On February 8, 1970, she gave birth to her second son, Luca Dotti in Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland. From time to time, she would appear on the silver screen.

On January 19, 1969, she married Dr. Andrea Dotti.

She divorced from Mel Ferrer in 1968.

After a couple of other movies, most notably Two for the Road (1967), she hit pay dirt and another nomination in Wait Until Dark (1967).

In 1967, Audrey decided to retire from acting while she was on top.

One of Audrey's most radiant roles was in the fine production of My Fair Lady (1964).

She scored commercial success again playing Regina Lampert in the espionage caper Charade (1963).

Audrey reached the pinnacle of her career when she played Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), for which she received another Oscar nomination.

On July 17, 1960, she gave birth to her first son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer.

She received yet another Academy Award nomination for her role in The Nun's Story (1959).

Turned down the film Gigi (1958) after creating the character in the Broadway non musical play.

She starred in the films Funny Face (1957) and Love in the Afternoon (1957).

Presented the Best Picture Oscar at the Academy Awards four times (in 1955, 1960, 1966, and 1975), more than any other actress.

On September 25, 1954, she married actor Mel Ferrer.

She also starred in Sabrina (1954), for which she received another Academy Award nomination.

Audrey gained immediate prominence in the US with her role in Roman Holiday (1953). This film turned out to be a smashing success, and she won an Oscar as Best Actress.

Later, she had a speaking role in the 1951 film, Young Wives' Tale (1951) as Eve Lester. The part still wasn't much, so she headed to America to try her luck there.

In 1948, after being spotted modeling by a producer, she was signed to a bit part in the European film Nederlands in zeven lessen (1948).

Audrey Hepburn was born as Audrey Kathleen Ruston on May 4, 1929 in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium. Her mother, Baroness Ella Van Heemstra, was a Dutch noblewoman, while her father, Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston, was born in Úzice, Bohemia, to English and Austrian parents. After her parents' divorce, Audrey went to London with her mother where she went to a private girls school. Later, when her mother moved back to the Netherlands, she attended private schools as well. While she vacationed with her mother in Arnhem, Netherlands, Hitler's army took over the town. It was here that she fell on hard times during the Nazi occupation. Audrey suffered from depression and malnutrition. After the liberation, she went to a ballet school in London on a scholarship and later began a modeling career. As a model, she was graceful and, it seemed, she had found her niche in life--until the film producers came calling.

She was voted the 21st Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.