Audrey Hepburn

Worksheets

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Audrey Hepburn was a British actress, dancer, model, and humanitarian who became a Hollywood star in the 1950s and 60s. Her sophisticated style, radiant beauty, and iconic acting have earned her the American Film Institute ranking of third greatest female screen legend in Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Early Life▪ Edda Kathleen Hepburn Ruston, more popularly known as Audrey

Hepburn, was born on May 4, 1929 in Brussels, Belgium. ▪ She was born to Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston, an Englishman, and

Baroness Ella van Heemstra, a Dutch noblewoman.

Audrey Hepburn

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▪ Even though she was born in Belgium, Hepburn was a British citizen and studied in England when she was young.

▪ Hepburn’s parents divorced when she was six years old.

Life during the World War II▪ At the start of World War II in 1939, she and her mother moved to

the Netherlands thinking that it was safer to live there, away from Nazi occupation.

▪ In 1940, however, the Netherlands fell into Nazi occupation.▪ Hepburn experienced hardships while living in the Netherlands.

throughout World War II.▪ She was still able to study in the Arnhem conservatory where she

also took ballet lessons.▪ It was said that she used her dancing in fundraising for the

underground movement during the Nazi occupation.▪ Audrey’s horrific experiences during the war, such as seeing her

uncle shot by Germans and seeing a trainload of Jewish kids being transported via cattle trucks, led her to become a humanitarian later on in her life.

Audrey Hepburn

Acting Beginnings▪ When the war was over, she

continued to practice ballet in Amsterdam and in London.

▪ Her malnutrition and height due to the war left her unable to become a great ballerina so she pursued acting instead.

▪ She then studied acting in her early 20s.

▪ While she began to get small film roles, she also worked as a model and dancer.

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▪ After her minor film appearances, she was selected to star as Gigi in a West End play of the same title which opened in Broadway in 1951.

▪ In 1953, she was chosen in her first major supporting role in Thorold Dickinson’s The Secret People, as a prodigy ballerina.

Rise to Stardom▪ Also in 1953, Hepburn was cast in

her first starring role in major American film Roman Holiday.

Audrey Hepburn

▪ The film had box office success and Hepburn received multiple awards for her acting: Academy Award for Best Actress, a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama, and a BAFTA Award for Best British Actress in a Leading Role.

▪ Roman Holiday established Hepburn’s place in the acting industry and among Hollywood’s best.

Hepburn in a screen test for Roman Holiday (1953)

▪ Hepburn was featured on the cover of TIME magazine in September 1953.

▪ She then starred in romantic comedy Sabrina (1954) with Humphrey Bogart and William Holden.

▪ Her performance in Sabrina earned her a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actress and won her a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Hepburn with William Holden in Sabrina (1954)

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▪ Also in 1954, she returned to Broadway and starred as a water nymph in Ondine, with Mel Ferrer as co-star, whom she married later that year.

▪ She won a Tony Award for her performance in Ondine.

Audrey Hepburn

Hepburn and Mel Ferrer in War and Peace (1956)

▪ Hepburn became a Hollywood box office favorite and continued to starred in films War and Peace (1956), Funny Face (1957), Love in the Afternoon (1957), The Nun’s Story (1959), Green Mansions (1959), and The Unforgiven (1960).

Breakfast at Tiffany’s and My Fair Lady▪ In 1961, Hepburn starred in one of her most popular films: Blake

Edwards's Breakfast at Tiffany's, a film loosely based on the novella of the same name by Truman Capote.

▪ In Breakfast at Tiffany’s, she portrayed New Yorker Holly Golightly, a defining role for Hepburn and an iconic character in Hollywood cinema.

▪ For her performance, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.

▪ Her success continued as she acted in film Charade (1963) where she earned her third and final BAFTA award.

▪ In 1964, she acted in her most controversial film My Fair Lady. ▪ The film sparked controversy when Hepburn’s role was believed to

belong to Julie Andrews who originally starred in the stage show of My Fair Lady.

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▪ According to critics, Hepburn still gave a stellar performance in My Fair Lady despite not earning nominations for acting awards.

Semi-retirement and Divorce▪ After acting in her 1967 films Wait

Until Dark and Two for the Road, Hepburn began her semi-retirement and acted only occasionally.

Audrey Hepburn

▪ Hepburn and Mel Ferrer divorced in 1968.▪ She hosted a 1990s documentary series entitled Gardens of the

World with Audrey Hepburn, which began airing the day after her death in January 1993 and earned her a posthumous Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement – Informational Programming in 1993.

▪ She also recorded a spoken word album, Audrey Hepburn's Enchanted Tales, which earned her a posthumous Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children.

Humanitarian Work▪ In 1988, she became a special goodwill ambassador for United

Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).▪ In 1992, US president George H. W. Bush presented Hepburn with

the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work with UNICEF.

Death▪ After returning from Somalia in 1992, Audrey Hepburn developed

colon cancer. ▪ At 63 years old, she died in Switzerland in January 1993.

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Audrey’s BiographyName: ______________

Audrey Hepburn was a beloved actress during Hollywood’s Golden Age. Write a short biography of Audrey Hepburn in the space below.

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A Brief HistoryName: ______________

What are the films and/or plays Audrey Hepburn appeared and starred in? Make a brief history of Audrey Hepburn’s work. Write only the titles of the films. Be guided by the years given for each blank.

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1951-1953

1954-1956

1961 onwards

1957-1959

1959-1961

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Multiple ChoiceName: ______________

Recall what you’ve learned about Audrey Hepburn by answering the following questions. Encircle the letter of the correct answer.

Where did Audrey Hepburn live in her teen years?A. EnglandB. The Netherlands

What was Audrey Hepburn’s first major film?A. Breakfast at Tiffany’sB. Roman Holiday

To whom was Audrey Hepburn married from 1954 to 1968?A. Mel FerrerB. William Holden

When was Audrey Hepburn first featured in TIME Magazine?A. September 1953B. September 1954

What career did Audrey Hepburn want to pursue at first?A. MusicB. Ballet

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Movie MatchName: ______________

Match the film where Audrey Hepburn starred in to the description of Hepburn’s role in the movie.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

My Fair Lady

Roman Holiday

Sabrina

Eliza Doolittle is a Cockney flower seller who was subjected to speech lessons to change her accent.

Sabrina Fairchildhas been in love with her father’s employer all her life.

Holly Golightly is aneccentric New Yorker socialite who usually schemes to marry men for their money.

Princess Ann is a royal princess out to explore Rome on her own.

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Film PostersName: ______________

WAR AND PEACE is a war drama film exploring the personal growth and relationships of the characters

(including Hepburn) during the Napoleonic invasion.

Read the following descriptions of films starring Audrey Hepburn then illustrate an appropriate film poster for each of them.

FUNNY FACE is a musical romantic comedy film about fashion photographer Dick Avery being captivated by Hepburn and ending up going to France with her

and photographing her in Paris.

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Audrey’s AwardsName: ______________

Audrey Hepburn won multiple Golden Globe, BAFTA, and Academy Awards in her lifetime. What is the significance of each of these awards and how many did Hepburn receive?

What are the GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS for?_______________________________________________How many did Audrey Hepburn receive?______

What are the BAFTA AWARDS for?______________________________________________________How many did Audrey Hepburn receive?______

What are the ACADEMY AWARDS for?______________________________________________________How many did Audrey Hepburn receive?______

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Outside ActingName: ______________

Audrey Hepburn was not only an actress, but also a model, a wife, and a humanitarian. Can you describe who Audrey Hepburn was in those particular roles she played?

MODELLING

MARRIAGE

HUMANITARIAN WORK

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Golden Age ActressesName: ______________

Many beautiful and talented actresses rose to stardom in the Golden Age of Hollywood. One of them is Audrey Hepburn. Can you make a short introductory profile for each of the Golden Age actresses below? Include their bio and the film/s they are most famous for?

BIO: ______________________________________________________________________FILM/S: ______________________________

BIO: ______________________________________________________________________FILM/S: ______________________________

BIO: ______________________________________________________________________FILM/S: ______________________________

BIO: ______________________________________________________________________FILM/S: ______________________________

BIO: ______________________________________________________________________FILM/S: ______________________________

MARILYN MONROE

VIVIEN LEIGH

GRACE KELLY

AVA GARDNER

ELIZABETH TAYLOR

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Appreciating AudreyName: ______________

After learning about Audrey Hepburn, reflect on her impact on the film industry and humanitarian efforts. In your own words, complete the statements below.

When I think of Audrey Hepburn, I think of… _________________________________ because... _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Audrey Hepburn made her mark in... _________________________________________through... ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In one word, Audrey Hepburn is ____________.She is an inspiring icon because… ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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My Short FilmName: ______________

Audrey Hepburn acted in numerous films and plays. Write a screenplay of a short film that would have been perfect for Audrey Hepburn to act in.