On this day 87 years ago, actress and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn was born. While it has been many years since she’s passed, her legacy lives on, making her one of the most iconic actresses to ever live. In Hepburn’s honor, here are some rare facts that make her so easy to adore!
She had a pet deer
To get comfortable with the fawn to be used in her 1959 film Green Mansions, Hepburn kept the baby deer at her house. Being the animal lover she was, she decided to keep the deer even after the filming was finished!
She never thought of herself as a style icon
It has been noted that Hepburn could never understand why people thought she was beautiful. She was very critical of her own appearance and considered her style to be very plain.
She survived the Nazi invasion
As a child, she lived in a town invaded by Nazis. While many, including her relatives, were killed or starved to death, Hepburn worked for the Dutch Resistance by carrying secret messages in her ballet slippers and putting on performances to raise money.
She was fluent in five languages
English, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, and French!
She’s in the EGOT club
Hepburn is one of few actresses to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award. She won her first Academy Award for her first film, Roman Holiday, and accidentally left the statuette in the bathroom!
Givenchy was her personal stylist
She originally aspired to be a ballerina
Hepburn intensely studied ballet in hopes of becoming a prima ballerina, but she was often shut down for being too tall.
Disney’s Princess Aurora was inspired by Hepburn
She actually hated danish pastries
Hepburn hated having to eat the danish pastry in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, which became one of the most iconic scenes of cinematic history. She constantly begged the directors to let her eat an ice cream cone instead.
She retired early to spend time with her children
She was a Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF
Happy birthday, Audrey! We miss you!