Audrey Hepburn

Her father (Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston)
was a banker and her mother (Baroness Ella
van Heemstra) was a dutch aristocrat who
married in 1926.

When her parents divorced in 1935,
Audrey moved to London with her mother.
This was where she first experienced her
love for ballet and the theater during school.

From 1939-1945, she pursued
her love of ballet at the
Arnhem Conservatory.

When Germany invaded the
Netherlands in 1940, Audrey's
name was changed to Edda
because Audrey Ruston sounded
too English and posed a liability.

During this time, Audrey raised
money for the Dutch Resistance
by giving secret ballet recitals.

Audrey wanted desperately to pursue a
future in dance and so she and her
mother moved to Amsterdam where
she studied for 3 years under Sonia Gaskell.

Unfortunately, after the war, Audrey's family
was broke and the financial promises tied to
modeling and acting were greater than
dancing, so Audrey turned her focus to the
camera and the stage.

Her first fils roll was as a stewardess
in Nederlands in 7 lessen (Dutch
in Seven Lessons) (1948).

Soon after, she began working in
West End musicals. Her first major
roll was the lead in the 1951 West
End production of Gigi.

Her first leading film role was alongside
Gregory Peck as Princess Ann in
Roman Holiday.

For this role, she earned not only the Academy Award for Best Actress, but also her first BAFTA for Best British Actress in a Leading Role and only Golden Globe for Best Actress.

Throughout her career, Hepburn
won 6 Golden Globes, 4 BAFTAs
along with many other film and
stage awards.

Audrey married Mel Ferrer in 1954 and they had one son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer. They wanted more children, but Audrey suffered 4 miscarriages. They were married for 14 years.

On January 18, 1969, she married Andrea Dotti and had another son, Luca Dotti and suffered another miscarriage. Audrey and Andrea divorced after 13 years in 1982.

Audrey's first trip with UNICEF was to
Ethiopia in 1988 and came back claiming
"I want people to know that the largest
part of humanity is suffering."

In 1989, she visited
Central America and
Sudan

In Oct. 1990, she visited Vietnam with UNICEF supported immunization and clean water programs.

In Sept 1992, she visited Ethiopia and called it "apocalyptic". However, she left with hope, claiming "I have seen the miracle of water which UNICEF has helped to make a reality."

In Sept 1992, Hepburn began complaining of abdominal pains. After an exam on November 1st, the doctors discovered abdominal cancer in her apendix that had metastasised as a thin coating over her small intestine.

During surgery on December 1st, the doctor declared her inoperable because the cancer was spread too far.

On January 20, 1993, Audrey died in her sleep. She is buried at Tolchenaz Cemetary in Tolchenaz, Switzerland.