Last Updated on September 6, 2024
Audrey Hepburn is mostly remembered for her iconic roles in classic films like Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Roman Holiday. Throughout her lifetime, she exuded implausible beauty and elegance.
She might have portrayed a romantic paramour or a damsel in distress in film after film—but in real life, she built herself from the ground up without any help from prince charming.
Audrey Hepburn molded her pain into stylish iconography. She always found a way to challenge societal standards and redefine feminine beauty.
Early Life
Born Audrey Kathleen Ruston, the iconic Hollywood actress was a native of Brussels, Belgium. Her father was British, while her mother was Dutch. Joseph Victor Anthony Hepburn-Ruston was an alcoholic and abandoned the family when Audrey was only six years old.
After he left, his wife Baroness Ella van Heemstra, along with their daughter and two sons, moved into her father’s home in Arnhem, Holland. Despite their differences, Audrey’s parents had one thing in common.
They both believed in the Nazi ideology. Audrey didn’t share the same ideals; nevertheless, she stayed in contact with both of them until they died.
Audrey attended a boarding school in Kent, England, where she learned how to dance ballet. Following England’s declaration of war on Germany, she moved back home for safety.
Nazi Occupation
Life under Nazi rule wasn’t particularly hard at first. Audrey used a different name, Edda van Heemstra, so she wouldn’t seem English—other than that, she and her brothers still lived a pretty normal life.
She continued ballet lessons at the Arnhem School of Music. They went to football matches and movie theaters. However, this seemingly perfect life was short-lived.
Since nearly half a million soldiers were surviving on Dutch resources, Holland eventually started to suffer from food shortages. As a result, many children around the country starved to death.
Audrey’s life continued going into a downward spiral in 1944. Aside from nearly starving to death, Germans confiscated a chunk of their wealth.
The van Heemstras were also evicted from their own home when Nazi officers took over, forcing the family to move into a villa in Velp. While Audrey’s half-brother Ian was forced to work for the Germans in a munitions factory, her half-brother Alexander took part in the Dutch resistance.
Her Uncle Otto even lost his life for attempting to destroy the railroad. Eventually, she, too, found a role in the Dutch resistance.
The Dutch Resistance
Nazi soldiers took away all radios to prevent people from hearing about the resistance. So, a young Audrey Hepburn smuggled and distributed secret documents by tucking them inside oversized boots, letting people know that there is hope.
Like many children in Holland, she was malnourished. Nevertheless, she danced ballet in recitals to contribute to the Dutch resistance. And she did this until she was too weak to continue.
Holland was liberated on Audrey’s 16th birthday. Both her brothers returned safely. Due to malnutrition, she had a series of health problems like anemia, jaundice, colitis, and depression.
Becoming a Hollywood Icon
Audrey aspired to become a prima ballerina. However, she stopped pursuing a career in dance when she was told her physique was unfit for the lead role. At 5 feet 7 inches, Audrey was deemed too tall for the role.
Since she couldn’t pursue her dream as a ballerina, she signed up for a play called High Button Shoes.
There, she first introduced her stage name, Audrey Hepburn. Eventually, she started modeling and acting in small films until renowned writer Colette cast her as the titular character of her musical Gigi.
Around the same time, William Wyler was scouting for a European beauty to portray a princess in his romantic comedy Roman Holiday, and Audrey landed the role.
From then onwards, she would star in many successful films, including Breakfast at Tiffany’s, which was originally written for Marilyn Monroe.
She gradually became a fashion icon as she worked with Edith Head and Hubert de Givenchy. In her own way, she challenged traditional preconceptions of women in their generation by wearing pants instead of skirts and flats instead of stilettos.
At this point, her career was flourishing, but her personal life wasn’t as wonderful. She suffered from depression, which stemmed from a series of miscarriages.
Humanitarian Work
In her later years, Audrey committed herself to philanthropy. She served as an ambassador of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund.
Not only did she raise awareness about starving children, but she also went around the world to empower women through livelihood programs. She visited communities ravaged by war and drought.
Audrey continued working with UNICEF even after she was diagnosed with cancer. On the 20th of January, 1993, she passed away at 64.
Here are 97 inspiring quotes from the iconic Audrey Hepburn:
Audrey Hepburn Quotes
“I decided, very early on, just to accept life unconditionally; I never expected it to do anything special for me, yet I seemed to accomplish far more than I had ever hoped. Most of the time it just happened to me without my ever seeking it.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I decided, very early on, just to accept life unconditionally; I never expected it to do anything special for me, yet I seemed to accomplish far more than I had ever hoped. Most of the time it just happened to me without my ever seeking it.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Living is like tearing through a museum. Not until later do you really start absorbing what you saw, thinking about it, looking it up in a book, and remembering – because you can’t take it in all at once.” – Audrey Hepburn
“There is one difference between a long life and a great dinner; in the dinner, the sweet things come last.” – Audrey Hepburn
“My own life has been much more than a fairy tale. I’ve had my share of difficult moments, but whatever difficulties I’ve gone through, I’ve always gotten the prize at the end.” – Audrey Hepburn
“The greatest victory has been to be able to live with myself, to accept my shortcomings… I’m a long way from the human being I’d like to be. But I’ve decided I’m not so bad after all.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I have learnt how to live…how to be in the world and of the world, and not just to stand aside and watch.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Pick the day. Enjoy it – to the hilt. The day as it comes. People as they come… The past, I think, has helped me appreciate the present – and I don’t want to spoil any of it by fretting about the future.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Not to live for the day, that would be materialistic — but to treasure the day. I realize that most of us live on the skin — on the surface — without appreciating just how wonderful it is simply to be alive at all.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I believe, every day, you should have at least one exquisite moment. “– Audrey Hepburn
“Life is a party. Dress for it.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Giving is living. If you stop wanting to give, there’s nothing more to live for.” – Audrey Hepburn
“People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; “You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I was born with an enormous need for affection, and a terrible need to give it.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Your heart just breaks, that’s all. But you can’t judge, or point fingers. You just have to be lucky enough to find someone who appreciates you.” – Audrey Hepburn
“If I get married, I want to be very married.” – Audrey Hepburn
“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.” – Audrey Hepburn
“When you have nobody you can make a cup of tea for, when nobody needs you, that’s when I think life is over.” – Audrey Hepburn
“We all want to be loved, don’t we? Everyone looks for a way of finding love. It’s a constant search for affection in every walk of life.” – Audrey Hepburn
“When the chips are down, you are alone, and loneliness can be terrifying. Fortunately, I’ve always had a chum I could call. And I love to be alone. It doesn’t bother me one bit. I’m my own company.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I may not always be offered work, but I’ll always have my family.” – Audrey Hepburn
“True friends are families which you can select.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Whatever a man might do, whatever misery or heartache your children might give you – and they give you a lot – however much your parents irritate you – it doesn’t matter because you love them.” – Audrey Hepburn
“They say love is the best investment; the more you give, the more you get in return.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!” – Audrey Hepburn
“Pick the day. Enjoy it – to the hilt. The day as it comes. People as they come… The past, I think, has helped me appreciate the present – and I don’t want to spoil any of it by fretting about the future.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I tried always to do better: saw always a little further. I tried to stretch myself.” – Audrey Hepburn
“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I heard a definition once: Happiness is health and a short memory! I wish I’d invented it, because it is very true.” – Audrey Hepburn
“The most important thing is to enjoy your life, to be happy, it’s all that matters.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day, and… I believe in miracles.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Success is like reaching an important birthday and finding you’re exactly the same.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I probably hold the distinction of being one movie star who, by all laws of logic, should never have made it. At each stage of my career, I lacked the experience.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I never think of myself as an icon. What is in other people’s mind is not in my mind. I just do my thing.” – Audrey Hepburn
“There are certain shades of limelight that can wreck a girl’s complexion.” – Audrey Hepburn
“My greatest ambition is to have a career without becoming a career woman.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I’ve been lucky. Opportunities don’t often come along. So, when they do, you have to grab them.” – Audrey Hepburn
“When you have found it, you should stick to it.” – Audrey Hepburn
“It is too much to hope that I shall keep up my success. I don’t ask for that. All I shall do is my best – and hope.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Good things aren’t supposed to just fall into your lap. God is very generous, but He expects you to do your part first.” – Audrey Hepburn
“As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it’s the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It’s probably the most important thing in a person.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Why change? Everyone has his own style. When you have found it, you should stick to it.” – Audrey Hepburn
“For me the only things of interests are those linked to the heart.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Anyone who does not believe in miracles is not a realist.” – Audrey Hepburn
“On the one hand maybe I’ve remained infantile, while on the other I matured quickly, because at a young age I was very aware of suffering and fear.” – Audrey Hepburn
“It’s that wonderful old-fashioned idea that others come first and you come second. This was the whole ethic by which I was brought up. Others matter more than you do, so don’t fuss, dear; get on with it.” – Audrey Hepburn
“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.” – Audrey Hepburn
“The beauty in a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart; the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It’s the caring and that she lovingly gives the passion that she shows and the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Elegance is the only beauty that never fades. A woman can be beautiful as well as intellectual. It’s that wonderful old-fashioned idea that others come first and you come second. This was the whole ethic by which I was brought up. Others matter more than you do, so ‘don’t fuss, dear; get on with it.’” – Audrey Hepburn
“Sex appeal is something that you feel deep down inside. It’s suggested rather than shown. I’m not as well-stacked as Sophia Loren or Gina Lollobrigida, but there is more to sex appeal than just measurements. I don’t need a bedroom to prove my womanliness. I can convey just as much sex appeal, picking apples off a tree or standing in the rain.” – Audrey Hepburn
“The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Look, whenever I hear or read I’m beautiful, I simply don’t understand it … I’m certainly not beautiful in any conventional way. I didn’t make my career on beauty.” – Audrey Hepburn
“The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she knows.” – Audrey Hepburn
“A woman can be beautiful as well as intellectual.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Make-up can only make you look pretty on the outside but it doesn’t help if your ugly on the inside. Unless you eat the make-up.” – Audrey Hepburn
“And the beauty of a woman, with passing years only grows!” – Audrey Hepburn
“My look is attainable. Women can look like Audrey Hepburn by flipping out their hair, buying the large sunglasses, and the little sleeveless dresses.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I’m not beautiful. My mother once called me an ugly duckling. But, listed separately, I have a few good features.” – Audrey Hepburn
“There are more important things than outward appearance. No amount of makeup can cover an ugly personality.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Dress like you are already famous.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I saw but one glaring truth: These are not natural disasters but man-made tragedies for which there is only one man-made solution-peace.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I don’t believe in collective guilt, but I do believe in collective responsibility.” – Audrey Hepburn
“The ‘Third World’ is a term I don’t like very much, because we’re all one world. I want people to know that the largest part of humanity is suffering.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I can testify to what UNICEF means to children, because I was among those who received food and medical relief right after World War II. I have a long-lasting gratitude and trust for what UNICEF does.” – Audrey Hepburn
“It makes me self-conscious. It’s because I’m known, in the limelight, that it’s getting all the gravy, but if you knew, if you saw some of the people who make it possible for UNICEF to help these children survive. These are the people who do the jobs-the unknowns, whose names you will never know…I at least get a dollar a year, but they don’t.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Taking care of children has nothing to do with politics. I think perhaps with time, instead of there being a politicization of humanitarian aid, there will be a humanization of politics.” – Audrey Hepburn
“People in these places don’t know Audrey Hepburn, but they recognize the name UNICEF. When they see UNICEF their faces light up, because they know that something is happening. In the Sudan, for example, they call a water pump UNICEF.” – Audrey Hepburn
“A quality education has the power to transform societies in a single generation, provide children with the protection they need from the hazards of poverty, labor exploitation and disease, and given them the knowledge, skills, and confidence to reach their full potential.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Water is life, and clean water means health.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Since the world has existed, there has been injustice. But it is one world, the more so as it becomes smaller, more accessible. There is just no question that there is more obligation that those who have should give to those who have nothing.” – Audrey Hepburn
“My first big mission for UNICEF in Ethiopia was just to attract attention, before it was too late, to conditions which threatened the whole country. My role was to inform the world, to make sure that the people of Ethiopia were not forgotten.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I don’t want to be alone, I want to be left alone.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Some people dream of having a big swimming pool. With me, it’s closets.” – Audrey Hepburn
“If I’m honest, I have to tell you I still read fairy tales and I like them best of all.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I’m an introvert… I love being by myself, love being outdoors, love taking a long walk with my dogs and looking at the trees, flowers, the sky.” – Audrey Hepburn
“You can always tell what kind of a person a man really thinks you are by the earrings he gives you.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Paris is always a good idea.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Everything I learned I learned from the movies.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I have to be alone very often. I’d be quite happy if I spent from Saturday night until Monday morning alone in my apartment. That’s how I refuel.” – Audrey Hepburn
“As a matter of fact, I rather feel like expressing myself now.” – Audrey Hepburn
“For my whole life, my favorite activity was reading. It’s not the most social pastime.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I never think of myself as an icon. What is in other people’s minds is not in my mind. I just do my thing.” – Audrey Hepburn
“There must be something wrong with those people who think Audrey Hepburn doesn’t perspire, hiccup or sneeze, because they know that’s not true. In fact, I hiccup more than most.” – Audrey Hepburn
“In Holland and Belgium, and afterwards in England, my happiest moments were in the country. I’ve always had a passion for the outdoors, for trees, for birds and flowers.” – Audrey Hepburn
“If my world were to cave in tomorrow, I would look back on all the pleasures, excitements and worthwhilenesses I have been lucky enough to have had. Not the sadness, not my miscarriages or my father leaving home, but the joy of everything else. It will have been enough.” – Audrey Hepburn
“Let’s face it, a nice creamy chocolate cake does a lot for a lot of people; it does for me.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I never thought I’d land in pictures with a face like mine.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I was asked to act when I couldn’t act. I was asked to sing ‘Funny Face’ when I couldn’t sing, and dance with Fred Astaire when I couldn’t dance – and do all kinds of things I wasn’t prepared for. Then I tried like mad to cope with it.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I’m not a born actress, as such, I care about expressing feelings.” – Audrey Hepburn
“People associate me with a time when movies were pleasant, when women wore pretty dresses in films and you heard beautiful music. I always love it when people write me and and say ‘I was having a rotten time, and I walked into a cinema and saw one of your movies, and it made such a difference.’” – Audrey Hepburn
“[I have] enormous faith, but it’s not attached to any one in particular religion. My mother was one thing, my father another. In Holland they were all Calvinists. That has no importance at all to me.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I was born with something that appealed to an audience at that particular time…I acted instinctively. I’ve had one of the greatest schools of all – a whole row of great, great directors.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I’m half-Irish, half-Dutch, and I was born in Belgium. If I was a dog, I’d be in a hell of a mess!” – Audrey Hepburn
“Actually, you have to be a little bit in love with your leading man and vice versa. If you’re going to portray love, you have to feel it. You can’t do it any other way. But you don’t carry it beyond the set.” – Audrey Hepburn
“I had to make a choice at one point in my life, of missing films or missing my children. It was a very easy decision to make because I missed my children so very much.” – Audrey Hepburn
