Rory McCann

Mr. Casavant
AP US History
20 May 2010
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Kathleen Ruston was born on May 4, 1929 to parents Ella van Heemstra and

Joseph Ruston. Audrey’s mother was of French, Dutch, and Hungarian origin, and came from a

well-off family of soldiers and statesmen. Her father was British, Scottish, Irish, French, and

Austrian, and a descendent of James Hepburn, the third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots.

Audrey later took the surname Hepburn (Erwin, 21). As a young child, Audrey’s pastimes were

spending time outside, enjoying nature, and playing with her older half-brothers, Alexander and

Ian. She was quiet and introverted, and often listened to music or read alone. However, she had

strong bonds with her brothers and parents that were unexpectedly jeopardized when, at age six,

Audrey’s father left the family in Belgium and took off to England. Audrey later recalled that her

father’s abandonment was “the most traumatic event in my life” (Erwin, 21); although, in only

five years, it would be seconded by the German occupation of Holland.

At the time that Joseph Ruston abandoned his family, Audrey had been studying English

at a boarding school in England for a year. It was there that she discovered her passion for ballet.

She later said about her passion: “I fell in love with dancing…I loved it. Just loved it.” (Erwin,

21). In 1939, England declared war on Germany (after Hitler invaded Poland); for fear of her

daughter’s safety, Ella moved Audrey to Holland with her and her other children. 1940 began the

occupation of neutral Holland, specifically the city of Arnhem. For the next five years, Audrey

experienced the terror of WWII firsthand. Men between the ages of 16 and 60 were sent away

and forced to work in factories for the German army, including Audrey’s brother, Ian. Alexander
went into hiding to avoid the same fate, leaving Audrey and Ella and a house full of Nazi

soldiers operating the one radio station that was (eventually) allowed to play. During the

occupation, Audrey also narrowly avoided being taken away to work in a factory. She also

experienced the harsh guidelines set by the Nazis. Eventually, homes were only permitted to heat

one room at a time, lights turned off at night, and a strict curfew was set. Audrey assisted the

underground resistance forces by providing private dance recitals in homes and sending the

money they raised to help those quietly fighting the Nazis. By May of 1945, when the Allies

liberated Arnhem, Audrey had suffered greatly from the rationing and lack of resources. She said

of the time she went hungry, “We ate nettles, and everyone tried to cook grass, only I couldn’t

stand it.” Also, she said of the winter of 1945: “…we had no food whatsoever. I finished the war

highly anemic, and asthmatic, and all the things that come with malnutrition. I had a bad case of

edema…it’s a swelling of the limbs.” (Erwin, 34).

At the end of the war, after being united with her two brothers, Audrey and her mother

traveled to London to begin a new life. Ella found work wherever she could, while Audrey

continued her ballet education, and looked for work for dancing or modeling. Apart from

modeling, Audrey also gained roles as a chorus girl in shows such as High Button Shoes, Sauce

Tartare, and Sauce Piquante, where she began gaining popularity as a dacer and an actress by

directors, fellow cast mates, and fans. Audrey later found jobs in extra work and other brief

screen appearances. She earned her first dramatic role in the movie, Secret People, and was later

cast as the title role in the Broadway show, Gigi, after being spotted by the writer who

immediately saw her principal character come alive in Audrey Hepburn. Gigi made Audrey even

more wildly popular among fans and critics who hailed her as the “acting find of the year”

(Erwin, 64).
 From Gigi, Audrey went on to film Roman Holiday, as the title role of Princess Anne.

During this time, she also broke off her engagement to British socialite, James Hanson, because,

as Audrey put it, “When I couldn’t find time to attend to the furnishing of our London flat, I

suddenly knew I’d make a pretty bad wife.” (Erwin, 76). After the wild success of Roman

Holiday, Audrey signed on as the lead role of Sabrina in the film, Sabrina. In 1954, at only

twenty-four- years old, Audrey Hepburn won an Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in

Roman Holiday. Then, only three days later, she won a Tony Award for Best Actress for her

performance in the play, Ondine. Six months later, Audrey married Mel Ferrer. Audrey had

hoped that she could balance the life of a Hollywood starlit and that of a devoted wife and

mother, however that proved to be more difficult than she anticipated. During the winter of 1955,

she won another Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in Sabrina; also, she suffered her

first miscarriage. The second half of the decade saw continuous success for Hepburn, including

title roles in the films: War and Peace (1956), Funny Face (1957), Love in the Afternoon (1957),

and The Nun’s Story (1959). During the filming of The Unforgiven (1960), Audrey was thrown

from her horse and suffered a second miscarriage. Audrey said of the two miscarriages, “My

miscarriages were more painful to me than anything ever, including my parents’ divorce and the

disappearance of my father.” (Erwin, 101). However, in 1960, Audrey and Mel were blessed

with a third pregnancy that resulted in the birth of their son, Sean. Also in 1960, Audrey was cast

in the most notable role of her career, Holly Golightly of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Breakfast at

Tiffany’s boosted Audrey’s status from Hollywood starlit to entertainment and fashion icon,

making the “little black dress” a must-have for women’s wardrobes from 1960 to present.

During the next few years, Audrey starred in The Childrens Hour (1961), Charade

(1963), Paris When It Sizzles (1964), and My Fair Lady (1964). Shortly after My Fair Lady,
Audrey was finally reunited with her father. Also in 1966, Hepburn starred in How to Steal a

Million, and she experienced her third miscarriage. After filming Two for the Road (1966),

Audrey and Mel began the process for a divorce. After thirteen years, the couple found they

could not live the two lives of personal and career. Sean stayed living with his mother.

In 1968, Audrey met Andrea Dotti. In 1969, the two of them were married in

Switzerland, accompanied by Audrey’s nine-year old son, Sean. Four months later, Audrey

found she was pregnant with her second son, Luca. After Luca’s birth, Audrey starred in Robin

and Marian (1976), and Bloodline (1979); and after ten years of marriage, Audrey divorced

Andrea Dotti. Audrey spoke of the divorce: “…It’s probably one of the worst experiences a

human can go through…I hung on in both marriages very hard, as long as I could, for the

children’s sake, and out of respect for marriage.” (Erwin, 145).

In 1980, Audrey Hepburn met Robby Wolders, and was surprised to hear that the two of

them experienced the Hunger Winter of 1944 less than twenty miles apart. They became close

friends and soon grew to be more.

http://www.fandango.com/audreyhepburn/filmography/p31869