As a kick off to my first blog post in Lessons of Old Hollywood, I thought I would start with my absolute favorite actress and number one role model: Audrey Hepburn. While most girls of my generation grew up envying celebrities such as Brittany Spears or Christina Aguilera, my childhood was spent studying a different breed of celebrity.
She was one of the first Cinderella stories in Hollywood during its Golden Age. She came from modest beginnings, growing up in Nazi Europe, and despite an absent, alcoholic father, lack of proper theatre training, and malnutrition she became Hollywood’s princess for over fifteen years. I would love to give you guys a more in depth bio (as she has been the subject of many a research paper for me), but this blog will already run pretty long for everything I have to say about her. To read her full biography, check out Turner Classic Movies.
Hepburn portrayed a wide variety of characters from a foreign princess, to a nun, even to fairy yet, she is most well known for her performances in Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Funny Face, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and My Fair Lady. (I’ve seen all of these and trust me when I tell you they are completely worth devoting a Saturday afternoon to.)
And while she did have an uncanny talent and was well received by critics, in my opinion, it was not just her acting ability that immortalized Hepburn in the minds and hearts of so many. It was her unfailing ability to handle every situation with an immaculate sense of grace and graciousness. She silenced critics not with harsh remarks but rather with her actions. Despite enduring two failed marriages and multiple miscarriages in the public eye, she never let the pressure of being in the media compromise her identity. She worked hard, but knew when to gracefully step out of the public eye in order to raise her two sons. How many celebrities today are willing to sacrifice the attention and money for the good of their family? Very few come to my mind.
Hepburn never lost her celebrity status however, and used her influence to bring attention to UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) a cause she worked for during the later half of her half. She was a strong proponent of giving back and was ceaseless in her efforts to raise funds and awareness for such noble causes.
According to theelegantwoman.org, 40% of people label Audrey Hepburn as the most elegant woman, a title well deserved. She was known for her impeccable fashion sense, graciousness, work ethic and beauty both physical and abstract. Growing up when I struggled to define elegance and class in an amoral world, I always turned to Hepburn for guidance. She represents the lost art of elegance, and I believe that she is whom young woman should revere and aspire to, not half naked woman splashed on the covers of tabloids. And that my friends is the first lesson that Old Hollywood has given us, elegance is key and something to strive for even in 2014.
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Despite the fact that I have (unfortunately) never seen a movie with Audrey Hepburn in it, I also find her to be the picture of elegance. I’m not entirely certain why that is. I think it has something to do with the fact that my grandmother likes her movies. I’ve been meaning to watch more classic movies though, so perhaps I’ll choose one with her in it. I happen to enjoy Audrey’s quotes. She has quite a few amusing insights.
I will admit that I have never seen any of Audrey Hepburn’s movies but this blog post makes me want to start! I have always known her to be the epitome of grace, even without knowing much else about her (which says a lot about her public image!). With that said, I am in agreement with you 100% when you say that we should strive for this kind of class even today. We too often idolize celebrities for their “shock factor” (Miley Cyrus being the prime example) and this has encouraged a generation of, for lack of a better word, craziness. Our young people need role models like Audrey Hepburn to show them that values can exist even in the hectic world that is Hollywood. You don’t have to destroy yourself to be successful.
I also am really fascinated by Audrey Hepburn! I read a biography on her a couple of years ago and what really fascinated me was her experiences living in Belgium and her life during World War II. Something also really interesting I thought was the fact that she had been studying to become a ballerina for most of her life. I’m guessing that’s where a lot of her natural poise came from. I’ve only seen Breakfast at Tiffany’s once and to be honest, it wasn’t my favorite. I do, however, really love the movie Charade! Audrey with Cary Grant is a really wonderful pairing, and together they made such an interesting film. You’re definitely right in saying that she’s a true role model for grace and class and is a wonderful woman to aspire to be like.