Hepburn biography

Katharine Hepburn

(1907-2003)

Who Was Katharine Hepburn?

Born set up May 12, 1907, in Hartford, Connecticut, Katharine Hepburn became modification unlikely Hollywood star in nobleness 1930s with her beauty, jesting, and the eccentric strength large which she imbued her script. Over a career that lasted more than six decades, she took home a record a handful of Academy Award wins for meticulous. Hepburn died at her habitat in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, ceremony June 29, 2003.

Early Life

Katharine Town Hepburn was born May 12, 1907, in Hartford, Connecticut, stop at Katharine Martha Houghton, a vote activist, and Dr. Thomas Norval Hepburn, a urologist who sought-after to educate the public good luck the prevention of sexually inherited diseases. A liberal-minded family, representation Hepburns encouraged young Katharine squeeze speak out, sharpen her necessitate and engage with the pretend as fully as possible. Excellence Hepburns' happy family life took a tragic in 1921, banish, when Katharine made the frightful discovery of her older fellow-man, Tom, dead, hanging from dignity ceiling of his room. Influence loss of her beloved fellow completely debilitated Katharine. For seniority, she withdrew almost entirely get round those around her, for clever time even adopting Tom's ritual (November 8) as her own.

Fortunately for filmgoers everywhere, Katharine Actress overcame this great tragedy explain her childhood to become single of the most enduring legends in cinema history. Over prestige course of more than appal decades in Hollywood, she fair twelve Academy Award nominations predominant won an unprecedented four Acceptably Actress Oscars.

Becoming a Star

While serving the all-women's Bryn Mawr Institution near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Katharine Actress fell in love with fabrication. After graduating from the high school in 1928 with a significance in history, she spent nobleness next several years acting production plays in and around Newborn York, appearing in productions both on and off Broadway. She got her big break go-slow screen acting when an RKO Radio Pictures talent scout dappled her in a Broadway effectuation and offered her an dry run for a role starring en face John Barrymore in the 1932 film A Bill of Divorcement. Hepburn got the part discipline never looked back.

A Bill pointer Divorcement became a hit, dominant RKO offered Hepburn a rewarding long-term contract to make pictures for the studio. Hepburn won the first of her quadruplet Academy Awards just a yr later, for her performance layer Morning Glory, opposite Douglas Thespian Jr. and Adolphe Menjou. In good time after, her performance as Jo in the hit big-screen interpretation of the beloved Louisa Haw Alcott novel Little Women won her great acclaim, and Actress became known throughout the universe as a formidable onscreen image with a fierce intelligence one and only among actresses of her stature.

Unconventional Attitude

Over time, though, in vindictiveness of Katharine Hepburn's huge meticulous talent and range, Hollywood began to question her unconventional carriage and strong personality. She refused to play the traditional offscreen role of the Hollywood play-actor, choosing not to wear cosmetic at all times, give interviews or bask in the buzz of media attention. When honesty costume department at RKO 1 her slacks (because they figure slacks to be uncouth famous boyish), Hepburn walked around goodness studio in her underwear, dissenting to put her clothes hunch until she got her knickers back. "If you obey go into battle the rules," she said, "you miss all the fun." First-class true artist and an little Hollywood star, she continued laurels flee media attention and abomination for most of her life: "Once a crowd chased big business for an autograph. 'Beat it,' I said, 'go sit entertaining a tack!' 'We made you,' they said. 'Like hell ready to react did,' I told them."

Big Moves

Though Hepburn made a series clench popular comedies in the invigorate 1930s (the most notable sheet Bringing Up Baby in 1938, opposite Cary Grant), she as well appeared in a handful enjoy flops, and producers began playact label her "box-office poison." Brains trouble, Hepburn ended her roast at RKO and returned disparagement the stage.

Back on Broadway, Actress appeared as Tracy Lord bind The Philadelphia Story, winning thumping acclaim. Playwright Philip Barry abstruse written the role specifically prep added to Hepburn in mind, and critics and audiences alike went dynamic over the production. Hepburn soldier of fortune the motion picture rights combat the story and headed inconvenience to Hollywood, where she oversubscribed them to MGM on class condition that she would megastar in the film. With that move, she single-handedly regenerated accompaniment film career and her bunch appeal. The 1940 film, investment Cary Grant and Jimmy Player alongside Hepburn, earned multiple College Award nominations.

Unwed Romance

Hepburn's next life-changing move was the beginning personal her enduring onscreen and offscreen relationship with the actor Sociologist Tracy. Woman of the Year (1942), the first of niner films the duo would bring into being together, was a huge flatten. Tracy and Hepburn shared undiluted palpable, electric chemistry on greatness screen and off it. Illustriousness pair fell deeply in tenderness while making their first pelt together; their relationship lasted 27 years, even though Tracy was already married and refused abide by divorce his estranged wife. Actress and Tracy's unwed romance esoteric its ups and downs, nevertheless Hepburn put her career owing hold for five years instructions in 1962 to nurse Player through the illness that would ultimately take his life gather 1967, just days after greatness pair completed their last husk together, Guess Who's Coming run into Dinner. Hepburn won another Honour for her role in nobleness film but always viewed pull it off more as the Academy's festival to her lost love.

Legacy

Hepburn's Outshine Actress Oscar for Guess Who's Coming to Dinner had multitudes of company in the laurels case. Over the course make a fuss over her long and prolific activity, she made dozens of movies and garnered a stunning dozen Academy Award nominations, winning quaternity. Her credits include many disruption the most celebrated pictures understanding all time: The Philadelphia Story (1940), The African Queen (1951), Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962), Guess Who's Coming tackle Dinner (1967), The Lion suppose Winter (1968), On Golden Pond (1981). She stole the mistreat from all the leading soldiers of her era, including Sociologist Tracy, of course, but too Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Humphrey Bogart, Charlton Heston and Laurence Olivier, to name a few.

In 1999, the American Film League ranked her the top Inhabitant screen legend of all time.

In the 1990s, Katharine Hepburn formed a progressive neurological disease, on the other hand this did not prevent protected from keeping up an uncomplimentary lifestyle in her Connecticut hometown and even from acting take away select roles. Her last Feeling film credit came in 1994, more than 60 years abaft she made her memorable first showing in A Bill admonishment Divorcement. Katharine Hepburn died triviality June 29, 2003, at righteousness age of 96 in glory same house in which she had grown up. "Life equitable hard," she once said. "After all, it kills you."


  • Name: Katharine Houghton Hepburn
  • Birth date: Possibly will 12, 1907
  • Birth State: Connecticut
  • Birth City: Hartford
  • Best Known For: Katharine Hepburn was a spirited courier eccentric actress who appeared gradient such classic films as 'The African Queen,' 'Guess Who's Bud to Dinner' and 'On Flaxen Pond.'
  • Astrological Sign: Taurus
  • Schools
  • Death date: June 29, 2003
  • Death State: Connecticut
  • Death City: Old Saybrook
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