Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Born in Ixelles, Belgium, Hepburn spent her childhood chiefly in the Netherlands, including German-occupied Arnhem, Netherlands, during the Second World War. In Arnhem, she studied ballet before moving to London in 1948 where she continued to train in ballet while working as a photographer's model.

After appearing in several European films and starring in the 1951 Broadway play Gigi, Hepburn played the lead female role in Roman Holiday (1953) and became one of the most successful film actresses in the world. Later performing in Sabrina (1954), The Nun's Story (1959), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), Charade (1963) and My Fair Lady (1964), she received nominations for and won Academy Awards, Golden Globes and BAFTAs as well as winning a Tony Award for her performance in the 1954 play Ondine. Hepburn is one of few entertainers who have won Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony awards. In 1999, the American Film Institute placed her among the five greatest female stars in the history of American cinema. Although modest about her ability and acting technique, Hepburn remains one of the most beloved actresses of all time and is remembered as a film and fashion icon of the twentieth century. Redefining glamour with elfin features and a waif-like figure that inspired designs by Hubert de Givenchy, she was placed on the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1961.

Devoting much of her later life, time and energy to UNICEF, Hepburn's war-time struggles inspired her passion for humanitarian work and, although Hepburn had contributed to the organisation since the 1950s, she worked in some of the most profoundly disadvantaged communities of Africa, South America and Asia. In 1992, Hepburn was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.