Here’s to You Miss Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn is a cultural icon for her looks and class but she was more than just a pretty face and a black dress. 

—

This past Monday was May 5th and while many Americans were gearing up to celebrate Cinco de Mayo (or being reminded that it is not really a Mexican holiday) I was doing something a little bit different. Instead of partying or embracing my non-existent Hispanic heritage, I was caught up in remembering one of Hollywood’s classiest and most beloved actresses. If you happened to use Google at all that day you may have noticed that they too were celebrating because May 5th happens to be the birthday of the wonderful Audrey Hepburn.

Audrey was a star in her own right with her particular style giving us the likes of Holly Golightly, Sabrina Fairchild, and Eliza Doolittle. Whether on screen as a princess or  lower class flower girl her roles seemed suited to her, or rather her to them. She had grace that lent itself to all levels of elegance and wit that allowed her to create complex and entertaining interactions with her co-stars.

While many remember her for her beauty or acting career, there is much more to Audrey Hepburn that cannot be communicated through a quote pasted over a picture on Facebook. After finishing her film career Hepburn began a continuing commitment to serving the world, particularly less fortunate children in third world countries. The last years of her life were spent not only advocating for organizations such as UNICEF and The Red Cross, but also traveling the world to lend aid where she could. The notion of celebrities doing charity work is not a foreign one today but it is still nice to know that even a woman so well known for her physical appearance was also beautiful on the inside.

♦◊♦

If you have never seen a film of hers, I implore you to change that. Her films have a certain something about them; maybe it’s the nostalgia for the Golden Age of Hollywood or maybe it was my boyhood crush on her. Either way, movies starring Audrey certainly maintain a spot in my collection. For the guys out there: if there is some macho ideal keeping you from seeing a movie called “My Fair Lady” … get over it. Plus, if you end up liking it you’ll win some serious brownie points with any ladies in your life if you mention wanting to watch it with them (it totally worked with my wife when we were just dating).

It has been just over 21 years since Audrey Hepburn passed away and longer still since her most memorable roles first graced the silver screen, however all that time has not tarnished either one a single bit. Her films remain among some of the best to ever leave Hollywood, classics for the ages. Her personality and desire to help others carries on in her loved ones and charities set up in her honor. Next time you see her as iconic image as a silhouette on a coffee mug or printed on a handbag remember; Audrey Hepburn was more than just another starlet, she was a wonderful woman through and through.

—Photo Credit: odysseus Studio/Flickr