When Audrey Hepburn visited the Netherlands in the late 1960s to attend the premier of husband Mel Ferrer’s film “El Greco”, the warm welcome was for one of their own. Born in Brussels in May 1929, the daughter of an Englishman and a Dutch baroness spent many of her formative years in Holland.
Germany’s invasion of the Netherlands meant Audrey’s teens where time of suffering and terror. Their uncle and second cousin were shot in front of her for being the resistance and she developed a malnutrition and other physical disorders.
She moved to the London and in 1952, Audrey was handpicked by the French writer Colette to star on Broadway in the title role of “Gigi” leading to her first major film role as the runaway princess who had run on holiday, the role that won her that year’s Academy award for the best actress.
Elizabeth Taylor had been originally earmarked but Audrey’s audition tape during the use of camera is left running once relaxing and chatting on everyone there. According to director William Wyler, she had charm, innocence and talent. She was absolutely enchanting.
“It’s too much. I want to say thank you to everybody when the first months and years have helped, guided and given me so much. I’m truly, truly grateful and terribly happy.”
William Wyler’s summation at the point of year soon became interested on the string of hit films followed in several iconic roles. She followed “Roman Holiday” with Sabrina opposite William Holden and Humphrey Bogart and was again nominated for an Oscar losing to Bruce Kelly in “The Country Girl.”
She receives three more acting nomination during her career, “The Nun Story” in 1959. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” in 1961 and “Waited Until Dark” in 1967. She also became one of only three women to pull off the grand slam in Entertainment awards, an Oscar, Grammy and Tony and to the primetime. She gave a lot of performances in films like “Funny Face” where she danced opposite the head elegant Fred Astaire and especially as Holly Golightly in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” when she’s singing “Moon River” and melted heart surround the globe. She became a much admired icon of style and fashion with their legions to the house of Givenchy which still resonates today.
In 1964, she was cast as Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady” much to the chagrin of some vocal critics who believe the original Broadway star of the show Julie Andrews should have played the role, but despite having their singing dubbed line Manny Nixon, Audrey was again sublime but the Andrew’s fans felt mollified somewhat by Julie winning the best actress Oscar that year for Mary Poppins.
In the later years, Audrey submitted her position as one of the world’s most beloved performers by the time from movies to concentrate on her work with UNICEF becoming a Special Ambassador for the children’s aid organization in the 1988.
In December 2006, the Givenchy designed a little black dress she made famous in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s broke all records by selling in the Christie’s auction for nearly half a million pounds. It wasn’t even the exact frank won on the film. “So the dress it’s certainly one of the most iconic moments in film history that seen outside Tiffany’s in the early house of the morning with Holly Golightly reaching out for paper bag.”
Audrey died from cancer in January 1993. She left us with this quote, “I think I have smooth time instead of there being a politicization of humanitarian aid. It would be a humanization of politics.”
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