Early Life
Hepburn spent part of her childhood in Belgium and the Netherlands and lived through the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II, later training as a ballet dancer in London.
Career
After stage work she broke through with Roman Holiday (1953), winning the Academy Award for Best Actress. She starred in Sabrina, Funny Face, Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) and My Fair Lady (1964), and was frequently dressed by the designer Hubert de Givenchy.
Legacy
From 1988 she served as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, traveling to Africa, Asia and Latin America. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992 and died of cancer in January 1993; that year she was posthumously given the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
Sources and further reading
Last updated: 2026-09-24