Biography & Net Worth Of Audrey Hepburn

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Biography & Net Worth Of Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn was a British actress and humanitarian. Recognised as both a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third-greatest female screen legend from the Golden Age of Hollywood, and was inducted into the International Best Dressed List Hall of Fame.

Early Life

Audrey Hepburn was born as Audrey Kathleen Ruston in 1929 in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium. Her mother, Baroness Ella van Heemstra, was a Dutch noblewoman, while her father, Joseph, was a British national born in Austria-Hungary. Due to her parents' backgrounds and frequent travel, Hepburn initially grew up in shelter and privilege, and became fluent in multiple languages including Dutch, English, French, and Italian. However, when Hepburn was six, her father left the family and moved to London, where he became engaged in pre-war Fascist efforts. After spending time at a family estate in Arnhem, Netherlands, Hepburn was sent to live in Kent, England in 1937 to receive an education. The next year, her parents officially divorced.

Following the outbreak of World War II, Hepburn was moved back to Arnhem, where she attended the Arnhem Conservatory from 1939 to 1945. Hepburn's family was significantly impacted by the German invasion of the Netherlands; her uncle, Otto van Limburg Stirum, was executed for his part in the resistance, while her half-brother Ian was deported to a labor camp in Berlin. The family left Arnhem to live with Hepburn's grandfather in nearby Velp, where Hepburn volunteered at a hospital and danced to raise money for the Dutch resistance. During the Dutch famine of 1944, Hepburn developed respiratory problems, anemia, and malnutrition-related edema.

Career

After the end of the war, Hepburn moved with her family to Amsterdam, where she took ballet lessons under renowned dancer Sonia Gaskell. In 1948, Hepburn made her film debut in the educational travel film "Dutch in Seven Lessons." That year, she moved to London on a ballet scholarship with Ballet Rambert, and supported herself with a part-time job as a model. Due to her diminutive stature and the effects of her wartime malnutrition, she was told that she didn't have a career as a prima ballerina; therefore, she committed herself to acting.

In the late 40s, Hepburn took to the stage as a chorus girl in the West End musical revues "High Button Shoes" and "Sauce Tartare." Later, in 1951, she took small parts in films such as "One Wild Oat," "Young Wives' Tale," and "The Lavender Hill Mob." Her first substantial supporting role came the next year, when she was cast as a ballerina in "The Secret People." Hepburn continued to thrive on stage, performing the titular role in the Broadway play "Gigi"; running for 219 performances, the play garnered Hepburn a Theatre World Award.

Personal Life

Hepburn was engaged to industrialist James Hanson in 1952, but decided to call off the marriage due to the demands of her career. Later, she met American actor Mel Ferrer at a cocktail party, and began dating him while they starred together in "Ondine." In 1954, they married, and divorced in 1968. Hepburn wed her second husband, Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti, in 1969, and had one son, Luca. The marriage, which was marked by infidelity by both Hepburn and Dotti, ended in 1982. Hepburn was in a relationship with Dutch actor Robert Wolders until her passing.

In 1992, after returning to Switzerland from Somalia, Hepburn began to suffer abdominal pain. A laparoscopy performed in the US revealed a cancer that had grown over many years. After undergoing surgery and starting chemotherapy, Hepburn returned home to Switzerland, where she spent her final days in hospice care. While sleeping, she passed away in 1993.

Net Worth

Audrey Hepburn was a British-Dutch actress, fashion icon, and humanitarian, recognized as one of the greatest female screen legends of Hollywood's Golden Age. Audrey Hepburn had a net worth of $55 million at the time of her death in 1993. That's the same as $100 million in today's dollars, after adjusting for inflation. Hepburn died on January 20, 1993 at the age of 63. She was recognized as a film and fashion icon during Hollywood's Golden Age.