"Audrey Hepburn was born in or near Brussels, Belgium on May 4, 1929. Her father, Joseph Hepburn-Rushton was an English banker and her mother, Ella Van Heemstra was a Dutch baroness. During Audrey's early years she traveled between England, Belgium and the Netherlands because of her father's job.

What was Audrey Hepburn's ethnicity?

On May 4, 1929, Edda van Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston—who will one day be better known to legions of film fans as Audrey Hepburn—is born near Brussels, Belgium. The daughter of an English banker and a Dutch baroness, Hepburn was attending school in London when World War II erupted in Europe.

Was Audrey Hepburn's father German?

Hepburn's father, Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston (21 November 1889 – 16 October 1980), was a British subject born in Auschitz, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary.

Was Audrey Hepburn European?

Born in Belgium to a Dutch baroness and a British-Austrian father, Hepburn was a linguistic smoothie blend from the start.

Was Audrey Hepburn Danish?

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.

Audrey Hepburn Dutch Interview for Premiere Magazine 1959

Did Audrey Hepburn have a Dutch accent?

Audrey Hepburn was pretty well consistent with non-rhotic. and spoke refined English. Her accent can be characterized as British with somewhat of Flemish or Dutch blend because of her Belgian and Dutch roots. Audrey was born in Brussels, Belgium.

Was Audrey Hepburn's mother Dutch?

Ella, Baronness van Heemstra, DStJ (12 June 1900 – 26 August 1984) was a Dutch aristocrat and the mother of actress Audrey Hepburn. After her marriage to Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston, she became a British citizen.

What languages did Audrey Hepburn speak fluently?

Audrey Hepburn | Audrey Hepburn speaking 6 languages. She was fluent in French, Dutch, English and Italian and could converse in Spanish and German.

Where did Audrey Hepburn get her accent?

Her dominant language as a child was Dutch. When she was five years old she was sent to boarding school in England and learned to speak English (hence her British accent). Audrey was a British citizen through her father.

Why did Audrey Hepburn move to Switzerland?

The actress and humanitarian worker Audrey Hepburn, famed for her elegance, charm and kindness, spent the last 30 years of her life in a village near Lausanne. In Switzerland she found the peace she sought in order to raise her two sons away from the glare of the Hollywood paparazzi.

Why did Audrey Hepburn change her name?

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.

Where did Audrey Hepburn live in the Netherlands?

Audrey in Arnhem

This Audrey Hepburn walking route is about that time, when Audrey lived in Arnhem between 1939 and 1945. As a young girl, aged 10 years old, Audrey's mother Baroness Ella van Heemstra moved the family to Arnhem. She hoped the Netherlands would remain neutral and be spared a German attack.

Was Audrey Hepburn related to James Hepburn?

The truth of it is this – Joseph Ruston, Audrey's father, believed he was descended from James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell. If that name is familiar to you, it's because he was the third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots.

What color were Audrey Hepburn's eyes?

2. Audrey Hepburn. No matter how many actresses come and go, Audrey Hepburn is always remembered as the true diva. Though officially recorded as brown, the real color of her eyes remains a mystery with co-actors and fans finding it green, gray, blue and even hazel.

What accent does Audrey Hepburn have?

Audrey is so associated as the epitome of British actress making the successful move to Hollywood that her accent has become iconic and many expies of her across fiction assume either an American or British accent of her (on top of frequently association with British heritage somehow like said expy visiting London).

What was Audrey Hepburn's first language?

Hepburn grew up bilingual, speaking both English and Dutch. When she was sent to a private school in Belgium, she learned French. She also picked up German, Italian, and Spanish.

Did Audrey Hepburn live in the USA?

Though she did spend some time living in Hollywood, including at this Holmby Hills spot and a Beverly Hills home built by architect Gerard R. Colcord, Hepburn's truly beloved home was in Tolochenaz, Switzerland, where she died in 1993.

Why did Katherine Hepburn have a British accent?

Throughout the Golden Age of Hollywood, stars including Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Bette Davis, and Orson Welles employed what's known as a “Mid-Atlantic accent,” a sort of American-British hybrid of speaking that relies on tricks like dropping “R” sounds and softening vowels, in order to convey wealth and ...

How did Audrey Hepburn learn English?

Audrey Hepburn learned English and Dutch from her British father and Dutch mother.

What actress speaks 6 languages?

Natalie Portman – Hebrew, French, Japanese, German and Spanish. The grand finale! She speaks a total of six languages but is also able to dabble in a few others, including Arabic. Natalie is originally from Jerusalem and graduated from Harvard.

Which actress speaks 5 languages?

A good friend of Mila Kunis, Natalie Portman goes a few better than her bilingual buddy – she can speak five languages fluently. Her two native languages are English and Hebrew. Natalie was born in Israel and her family moved to the US when she was three.

Is Audrey Hepburn an introvert?

Audrey considered herself to be an introvert.

However, when talking about her work as Holly Golightly, Hepburn said, “I'm an introvert. Playing the extroverted girl was the hardest thing I ever did.” It's good to know that even style icons like Audrey feel just like us.

Was Audrey Hepburn smart?

Not only was she an incredible actress but a world traveler and seemingly very smart lady. She spoke English as well as Spanish, French, Dutch, and Italian fluently.

How old was Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's?

Audrey Hepburn was 31 years old when playing Holly. Holly Golightly wears the same dresses all the way through the movie, simply changing the accessories to give each outfit a different look. Her black shift dress features through the movie at least four times.

Does Audrey Hepburn speak German?

Audrey Hepburn

She enjoyed a career that spanned decades, winning various awards and starring in some iconic films, including Breakfast at Tiffany's. She was also bilingual, speaking English, French, Italian, German, Dutch and Spanish.