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01
During the Battle of Arnhem, 16-year-old Audrey was a volunteer nurse in a Dutch hospital, helping wounded Allied soldiers including British paratrooper and future director Terence Young, who later directed her in Wait Until Dark 1967.
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02
She never singled out a favorite film but spoke fondly of Breakfast at Tiffany’s 1961, Roman Holiday 1953, Funny Face 1957, The Nun’s Story 1959, and Charade 1963. She reportedly disliked working on The Unforgiven 1960 due to a back injury and Wait Until Dark due to her failing marriage.
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03
Audrey was raised bilingually in English and Dutch, which contributed to her unique accent, and later learned French, Spanish, and Italian, using her linguistic skills in her acting and humanitarian careers.
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04
She turned down the lead role in The Diary of Anne Frank 1959 feeling she was too old, but in 1990 she narrated portions of Anne Frank’s diary for a symphonic work with the New World Symphony, with proceeds benefiting UNICEF.
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05
She admitted she would not have accepted the role of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady 1964 if she had known producer Jack L. Warner planned to dub her singing.
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06
Upon accepting her 1953 Best Actress Oscar from Jean Hersholt, she kissed him on the mouth in excitement, then briefly misplaced the award and retrieved it from the ladies’ room.
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07
Henry Mancini said Moon River was written for Audrey and that no one else had understood it so completely. There have been more than a thousand versions, but hers is unquestionably the greatest.
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08
During World War II, she confessed to eating tulip bulbs and trying to bake grass into bread due to hunger.
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09
She saved the life of her friend Capucine, who attempted suicide on several occasions.
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10
Her little black dress from Breakfast at Tiffany’s 1961, designed by Hubert de Givenchy, sold at Christie’s in December 2006 for approximately $920,000.
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11
She worked with the Dutch Underground during World War II, performing ballet to raise funds for the resistance and acting as a courier.
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12
She broke her back during filming of a horse-riding scene in The Unforgiven 1960.
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13
In December 1992, President George H.W. Bush awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her UNICEF work; she was too ill with cancer to attend.
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14
She nearly married businessman James later Lord Hanson after Roman Holiday 1953, but called off the wedding at the last minute.
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15
She suffered four miscarriages during her marriage to Mel Ferrer in 1954, 1958, 1965, and 1967 and one miscarriage in 1974 during her marriage to Andrea Dotti.
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16
After filming Roman Holiday, Gregory Peck told producers Audrey would win an Oscar and insisted her name appear above the title.
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17
She is the fifth person, third woman, and first posthumous recipient of the EGOT Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony.
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18
She is one of 17 actresses to have won the Triple Crown of Acting Oscar, Emmy, Tony.
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19
Readers of New Woman magazine voted her the most beautiful woman of all time in 2006.
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20
The US Postal Service issued a 37-cent commemorative stamp honoring her in 2003.
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21
She donated all salaries from her final projects — Love Among Thieves 1987, Always 1989, and Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn 1993 — to UNICEF.
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22
Her biggest film regret was not getting the role of Anne Bancroft in The Turning Point 1977.
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23
She turned down the role of a Japanese bride in Sayonara 1957, saying she could not possibly play an Oriental.
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24
She drew pictures as a child to distract herself from hunger during WWII and later took up painting while pregnant with her son Luca.
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25
She was presented with her 1953 Best Actress Oscar by Jean Hersholt; forty years later she posthumously received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
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26
She presented the Best Picture Oscar four times 1955, 1960, 1966, 1975, more than any other actress.
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27
Her son Sean Hepburn Ferrer dedicated her Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to the children of the world.
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28
She was the muse of fashion designer Hubert de Givenchy, who dressed her for eight films.
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29
During WWII, her mother changed her name to Edda to hide her British roots from occupying German forces.
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30
She suffered from hydrophobia fear of water, which complicated scenes in Two for the Road 1967.
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31
She was self-conscious about her size-10 feet.
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32
Her performance as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s is ranked #32 on Premiere Magazine’s 100 Greatest Performances of All Time 2006.
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33
Her character in Funny Face 1957 was inspired by model Suzy Parker.
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34
She had no misgivings about playing Holly Golightly, saying ‘I had no misgivings about Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Some people had, but not me.
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35
A breed of tulip was named after her in 1990.
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36
She was trained as a dental assistant before making it big.
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37
She accepted her final role in Always 1989 to work with director Steven Spielberg, whom she admired after seeing E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
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38
While filming a minor movie in Monaco in 1951, she was spotted by novelist Colette, who insisted she play the lead in the Broadway production of Gigi.
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39
She met future husband Mel Ferrer at a party hosted by Gregory Peck; he sent her the script for Ondine, which they co-starred in on Broadway.
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40
She returned to work nine months after giving birth to her son Sean to begin filming Breakfast at Tiffany’s 1961.
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41
She was briefly considered for the lead in Cleopatra 1963 but the role went to Elizabeth Taylor.
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42
Her last humanitarian mission for UNICEF was to Somalia in September 1992, where she began experiencing stomach pains that led to her cancer diagnosis.
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43
During her final illness, the press took photos of her at home, published against her family’s wishes.
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44
She was Warner Bros. first choice for the role of Chris MacNeil in The Exorcist 1973 but refused unless filming was in Rome; the studio instead cast Ellen Burstyn.
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45
She studied ballet in London under Marie Rambert.
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46
In 1996, Harpers & Queen magazine ranked her the most fascinating woman of our time.
