Inked Mag Staff
August 5th, 2020
Honor Audrey Hepburn’s Legacy with 30 Elegant Tattoos
What's your favorite Audrey Hepburn film?
When we think back to the Golden Age of Hollywood, a select few actors come to mind. These performers have stood the tests of time and their work continues to be enjoyed generations later. One of those actors is Audrey Hepburn.
Audrey Hepburn was born on May 4th, 1939 in Brussels, Belgium. As a child, she traveled around Europe with her family and came to speak five languages: Dutch, English, French, Spanish and Italian. During World War II, Hepburn attended a ballet conservatory in the Netherlands and when Germany invaded, she performed silent dance shows to raise money for the Dutch resistance effort. When the war ended, her family went to Amsterdam where Hepburn continued to study ballet. She later moved to England and was told to focus on acting over dance because of stature and delicate constitution from wartime malnutrition.
Hepburn gained small roles in several films throughout the late 1940s and early 1950s, until her big break came along. Hepburn was thrust into the spotlight in 1953 after being cast in the leading role of “Roman Holiday.” Elizabeth Taylor was initially wanted for the role, however, Hepburn won over director William Wyler with her charm, innocence, talent and humor. She starred opposite actor Gregory Peck in the film and earned Best Actress at the 26th annual Academy Awards.
Following “Roman Holiday,” Hepburn appeared in “Sabrina” opposite Humphrey Bogart and William Holden, earning the nomination for Best Actress at the 27th annual Academy Awards. She went on to appear in many more successful films throughout the 1950s, including “War and Peace” in 1956, “Funny Face” in 1957 and “The Nun’s Story” in 1959.
Hepburn kicked off the 1960s with arguably her most famous role of all time, portraying Holly Golightly in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Hepburn’s role in this film made a tremendous impact on popular culture, particularly when it comes to the little black dress she wore during the opening scene. She was nominated for a third time for Best Actress at the Academy Awards. Hepburn would continue to have film success throughout the 1960s, starring in “Charade” opposite Cary Grant in 1963, “My Fair Lady” in 1964 and “How to Steal a Million” in 1966.
Hepburn appeared in a handful of films here and there during the 1970s and 1980s, however, her focus shifted to her humanitarian work. She was appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF and during the late 1980s and early 1990s, went on field missions to Ethiopia, Turkey, South America, Sudan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Somalia. Somalia would end up being her last trip, as she was soon after diagnosed with a rare form of abdominal cancer. After undergoing surgery and chemotherapy, Hepburn passed away in her sleep on January 20th, 1993. She was 63-years-old and won several awards posthumously, including a Primetime Emmy and a Grammy, which made her one of a select group of entertainers in the EGOT club.
In honor of Audrey Hepburn’s impressive legacy in entertainment and the world at large, take a look at 30 of our favorite tattoos from talented artists around the world. Take a look at these tattoos in the gallery below and let us know your favorite Audrey Hepburn movie in the comments section on social media.
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