Trivia

During the battle of Arnhem, 16-year-old Audrey was a volunteer nurse in a Dutch hospital, which received many wounded Allied soldiers, one of whom young Audrey helped nurse back to health was a young British paratrooper (and future director); Terence Young. More than 20 years later, Young directed Hepburn in Wait Until Dark (1967).

Turned down the lead role in the film The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) because she was too old for the part. Years later, in 1990, during her humanitarian career, she accompanied composer Michael Tilson Thomas and the New World Symphony orchestra to narrate portions of Frank's diary for a symphonic work he had written, "From The Diary of Anne Frank", which she performed on a small tour in the United States and London. Proceeds from all the concerts benefited UNICEF.

Audrey was raised bilingually; speaking English and Dutch (resulting in her unique accent). Throughout her life, she used her multi-linguistic capabilities to great advantage with international press, as well as her careers as an actress and humanitarian.

Her famous "little black dress" from Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), designed by Hubert de Givenchy, was sold at a Christie's auction for approximately $920,000 (5 December 2006).

She never singled out any of her films as a favorite, but often spoke fondly of Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), Roman Holiday (1953), Funny Face (1957), The Nun's Story (1959), and Charade (1963) in interviews. She reportedly did not enjoy working on The Unforgiven (1960) due to injuries sustained while shooting, and Wait Until Dark (1967) from the stress of her failing marriage. She was said to have also disappointed with the results of Paris When It Sizzles (1964) and Bloodline (1979). Nonetheless, she had a great reputation for her professionalism and almost always got along well with her co-stars and directors.

Audrey confessed to eating tulip bulbs and tried to bake grass into bread during the hard days of World War II.

Saved the life of her friend Capucine, who attempted suicide on several occasions.

Once admitted that she would not have accepted the role of Eliza Dolittle in My Fair Lady (1964) if she had known that producer Jack L. Warner planned to have all of her singing dubbed.

She won the 1953 Best Actress Academy Award for Roman Holiday (1953). On March 25th, 1954, she accepted the award from the much revered Academy president Jean Hersholt. After accepting the award, Audrey kissed him smack on the mouth, instead of the cheek, in her excitement. Minutes after accepting her 1953 Oscar, Audrey realized that she'd misplaced it. Turning quickly on the steps of the Center Theater in New York, she raced back to the ladies' room, retrieved the award, and was ready to pose for photographs.

Henry Mancini said: Moon River was written for Audrey. No one else had ever understood it so completely. There have been more than a thousand versions of Moon River, but hers is unquestionably the greatest".

In addition to her first son Sean Hepburn Ferrer, Hepburn became pregnant another four times by her husband Mel Ferrer (in 1954, 1958, 1965, and 1967). However, she suffered miscarriages on all of those occasions. She fell pregnant twice with Dr. Andrea Dotti; giving birth in 1970 to her second son, Luca, but miscarried in 1974.

During World War II, she lived in Arnhem, Netherlands. She worked with the Dutch Underground, giving ballet performances to collect donations for the anti-Nazi effort and as an occasional courier. She also received dance training and later studied ballet in London.

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

After filming Roman Holiday (1953), Gregory Peck informed the producers that, as Audrey Hepburn was certainly going to win an Oscar (for this, her first significant role), they had better put her name above the title. They did and she did.

Broke her back during filming of a horse-riding scene in The Unforgiven (1960).

The fifth person, third woman, and first posthumous recipient of the EGOT. The other 18 recipients (chronologically) are Richard Rodgers, Helen Hayes, Rita Moreno, John Gielgud, Audrey Hepburn, Marvin Hamlisch, Jonathan Tunick, Mel Brooks, Mike Nichols, Whoopi Goldberg, Scott Rudin, Robert Lopez, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, John Legend, Alan Menken, Jennifer Hudson, Viola Davis, and Elton John.

In December 1992, President George Bush presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work for UNICEF. She did not attend the ceremony, due to being ill with cancer.

Nearly married James (later Lord) Hanson, a businessman, after filming Roman Holiday (1953). An ivory satin wedding gown was designed by the Fontana sisters, but Hepburn called off the wedding at the last minute.

Her performance as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) is ranked #32 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Performances of All Time (2006).

She donated all the salaries she earned for her final projects to UNICEF (Love Among Thieves (1987), Always (1989), and Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn (1993)).

Told People Magazine that she was very self-conscious about her size-10 feet.

Her character in Funny Face (1957) was inspired by Suzy Parker, who made a fashionable cameo appearance in the film (her first film) in the "Think Pink" sequence.

During his acceptance speech honoring her work for UNICEF, Sean Hepburn Ferrer dedicated his mother's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to "the children of the world".

Hepburn was offered the role of a Japanese bride opposite Marlon Brando in Sayonara (1957) but turned it down. She later explained that she "couldn't possibly play an Oriental. No one would believe me; they'd laugh. It's a lovely script, however, I know what I can and can't do. And if you did persuade me, you would regret it, because I would be terrible".

Was fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy's muse, who dressed her for the films Sabrina (1954), Funny Face (1957), Love in the Afternoon (1957), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), Paris When It Sizzles (1964), How to Steal a Million (1966), Charade (1963) and Love Among Thieves (1987).

Is one of 17 actresses to have won the Triple Crown of Acting (an Oscar, Emmy and Tony); the others in chronological order are Helen Hayes, Ingrid Bergman, Shirley Booth, Liza Minnelli, Rita Moreno, Maureen Stapleton, Jessica Tandy, Anne Bancroft, Vanessa Redgrave, Maggie Smith, Ellen Burstyn, Helen Mirren, Frances McDormand, Jessica Lange, Viola Davis and Glenda Jackson.

Spoke 5 languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian and Dutch.

Suffered from hydrophobia, a condition that severely hampered some of her scenes in Two for the Road (1967). When a shot called for co-star Albert Finney to throw Hepburn into a swimming pool, divers were placed on standby (off-camera) just to placate the actress after it was learned that she had a morbid fear of water.

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."

Was voted "most beautiful woman of all time" by the readers of "New Woman" magazine (2006).

Art was one of her longtime hobbies, she drew pictures of stories when she was a child to distract herself from chronic hunger pains during WWII. As an adult, she took up painting to pass time while pregnant with her son, Luca. Samples of her work can be seen in the book "Audrey Hepburn: An Elegant Spirit".

Studied Ballet in London under Marie Rambert, later known as Dame Marie Rambert.

She was presented with her 1953 Best Actress Oscar for "Roman Holiday" by actor and humanitarian Jean Hersholt. Forty years later she would posthumously receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for her work with UNICEF.

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

Voted #1 in TheAge.com's Top 100: Natural Beauties of all time.

Christened simply Audrey Kathleen Ruston, her mother Baroness Ella Van Heemstra temporarily changed her daughter's name from "Audrey" to "Edda" during the war, feeling that "Audrey" might indicate her British roots too strongly. During the war, being English in occupied Netherlands was not an asset; it could have attracted the attention of the occupying German forces and resulted in confinement or even deportation. After the war her father Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston found documents about his ancestors, some of whom bore the name "Hepburn". This is when he added it to his name, which caused his daughter to have to add Hepburn to her legal name as well, thus Audrey Kathleen Hepburn-Ruston.

Was trained as a dental assistant before making it big.

She accepted her final role as "Hap" in Always (1989) simply for the opportunity to work with Director Steven Spielberg. Hepburn was moved by Spielberg's film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) after taking her youngest son to see it in Rome, and remarked: "The man is a genius!" She vowed to work with him, ever since.

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.

Samsung commissioned a poll as Audrey Hepburn was voted The Most Stylish Brit of All Time (2015).

According to director William Friedkin, Audrey was Warner Bros. first choice for the role of Chris MacNeil in The Exorcist (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.

Whilst appearing on the TV show, Audrey Hepburn (1990), when asked about the longstanding rumor that she felt she was miscast in one of her most popular roles as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961): "No, that is quite wrong. I had no misgivings about "Breakfast at Tiffany's". Some people had, but not me. I don't think Truman Capote thought I was right for the part, and some people thought it was a different era that it was a bit daring to play a call girl.".

When Hepburn was in the final stages of her illness, the press took pictures of her while she was at home, and published the photos, much to the disapproval of everyone who knew her.

A breed of tulip was named after her in 1990.

Chosen by People Magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world. (1990)

Was briefly considered for the main role in Cleopatra (1963) but the part went to Elizabeth Taylor

Returned to work nine months after giving birth to her son Sean Hepburn Ferrer in order to begin filming Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961).

While working in a minor movie, We Go to Monte Carlo (1953), in Monaco in 1951, Hepburn was spotted by novelist Colette, who deemed her the ideal choice to play the title role in the upcoming Broadway version of her play "Gigi." Although she lacked experience and confidence, she ultimately got the part.

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

Met future husband Mel Ferrer at a party hosted by Gregory Peck. It was Ferrer who sent Hepburn the script for "Ondine", which Hepburn agreed to play on Broadway, in which the couple co-starred.