Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Ruston) was born on Saturday 4th May 1929 in Ixelles, Brussels. Her family were very well-off but Audrey's childhood was a difficult one. At the mere age of 6, her father, Joseph, abandoned the family leaving her mother, Ella, to raise Audrey alone. Ella and Audrey spent the war together in Holland where Audrey nearly died of starvation and jaundice. It is because of Audrey's malnutrition that led her to be very skinny for the rest of her life. 

When society tends to think of Audrey they think of her beauty and elegance. Undoubtedly she was very beautiful (for further evidence see 'Two for the Road' where I think she was at her most gorgeous). But I believe her beauty overshadows her acting prowess and humanitarian nature. She was a skilled actress - the first actress to receive a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for her performance in the 1953 'Roman Holiday'). She should have been nominated for an Academy Award for her role in My Fair Lady (playing Eliza Doolittle, which, I believe, was one of her best performances). She was an extremely versatile actress (again as seen in the highly underrated 'Two for the Road' and 'My Fair Lady') and there is a substantial reason as to why highly knowledgable critics lauded their praises on her. 

However, the reason I most admire Audrey is not because of her acting or her beauty. It is simply for her humanitarian work. She was one of the first celebrities to fly out to the poorest parts of Africa in order to raise attention, awareness and money for UNICEF. Even when she was unwell (although she did not know at that point that it was terminal cancer) she flew to Somalia to help the world's poorest children. It is unbelievable that society chooses to ignore a large part of that legacy and instead focuses on her (however impressive) fashion. 

If she were alive today, Audrey would be 91 years old, and I think often of what she would have made of the refugee crisis and the situation in Afghanistan. I wonder what she would have made of the fact that Britain is only helping 7,000 refugees. If the world had a bit more of the humanitarian Audrey then it would be a better place.