Audrey Hepburn was a fashion icon of the 1950s and 1960s, and her collaboration with Chanel helped to solidify the brand's place in pop culture history. Hepburn's classic style, epitomized by her role in “Breakfast at Tiffany's,” included the iconic little black dress designed by Chanel.
She appeared in a few more films, and in 1988 she began a new career as a special goodwill ambassador for United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). She devoted herself to humanitarian work, visiting famine-stricken villages in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, until shortly before her death of cancer in 1993.
She enjoyed her famous career but always put her children first. Her acting profession brought happiness and joy to many people, but it was her lifelong goal to help children across the world that made the biggest impact.
Hepburn's career in acting wasn't the only thing that made her a good role model. She also spent five years doing humanitarian work in Africa and Latin America and served as a special ambassador to the United Nations. She started her humanitarian work in 1988 and completed it in 1993, according to IMDb.
Beyond her film roles and personal style, Hepburn also became an icon through her humanitarian work, becoming a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF in her later years. Her enduring appeal lies not only in her fashion sense and film achievements but also in her compassion and dedication to helping others.
Internationally renowned actress Audrey Hepburn was a tireless advocate for children's rights. Soon after becoming a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1988, she went on a mission to Ethiopia, where years of drought and civil strife had caused terrible famine.
From her childhood activism to her role as UNICEF Ambassador, Hepburn was a true hunger hero. She worked tirelessly on behalf of the millions around the world — especially children — who needed a helping hand and a voice.
The qualities that made Audrey Hepburn a great actress were, above all, also those that made her a great person: her genuine compassion and strength of character. Ultimately, it's not the roles she played that made her an enduring cultural icon, but who she was. And this is why we (still) love Audrey Hepburn.
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.
While she did not profess an established religion, Audrey said she had faith. We cannot doubt that since she lived the Gospel truths, particularly caring for those who were ill, poor, hungry or suffering in any way.
She raised money for the Resistance through illegal dance performances, called 'black evenings' because the windows were blacked out. The audiences weren't allowed to make a sound at the end of the dance. She also delivered a Resistance newspaper by bicycle, which Audrey hid in her woolen socks.
"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone."
Hepburn began helping the Resistance despite the clear penalties for those who were caught. She ran messages and, at one point, her family hid a British soldier and helped him escape. Already a gifted dancer, she performed in benefit events to help raise money for the resistance.
She is not only a hero because of her inspiring survival in war torn Holland, but also because of her consistent use of her fame for the greater good. She not only spoke on behalf of charities and raised money, but she also advocated for the people receiving the charity.
She put her heart and soul into her work and gave the world, especially the United States, a new respect for both women and African Americans. From her years as a United Nations delegate, she gave over one hundred lectures a year, wrote daily newspaper columns, contributed to magazines and wrote three autobiographies.
In 1980, Hepburn began dating Dutch actor Robert Wolders after meeting him at a party. They were together for 13 years up until Hepburn's death at age 63 from cancer.
Hollywood actress Audrey Hepburn was a tireless advocate for children's rights. Soon after becoming a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 1988, she went on a mission to Ethiopia, where years of drought and civil strife had caused terrible famine.
Audrey Hepburn was a Belgian-born British actress and humanitarian. She is best known for her roles in films such as Roman Holiday (1953), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), and My Fair Lady (1964). Hepburn devoted the final years of her life to humanitarian work. In 1992 she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Her mother changed her name to Edda during the war because she felt the name Audrey, being English, could prove to be a problem with the occupiers during the war. After the war Audrey again assumed her birth name, and later she adopted the now famous stage and screen name of Audrey Hepburn for the rest of her life.
The iconic eyebrows, micro-fringe, collection of Givenchy garments, and the life she dedicated to helping those in need are some of the most definitive features of Audrey. Her legacy is not just associated with her iconic Breakfast at Tiffany's role, but so much more.
An article about her love life in a 1953 issue of Screenland notes that Audrey “has been described as 'romantic; fey; puckish; whimsical; demure; mischievous; pert; naive; passionate; captivating; beguiling; sensitive.
