WIth Audrey's humanitarian work being central to my paper, this was an insightful interview to have
A culmination of all my research efforts and findings:
Introduction: Use 1st blog-personal anecdote about watching Roman Holiday and what brought me to Audrey. I have used and analyzed biographies, articles, movies and interviews all culminating into an iconic Audrey. Rationale/Essential Questions Films and film stars are very different today than they were 50 years ago-and Audrey defines what a true icon is, compared to today's array of famous people. I realized that so much has changed in what makes an icon or star, and it felt like Audrey was iconic for all the right reasons, but also for reasons that were not so apparent. I hoped to learn about what exactly led Audrey to become the legend she is, and was looking for more than the obvious reasons. Essential Question: What made Audrey iconic, and beyond the screen what made her fulfill that title? Secondary: What was her childhood like? What got her into acting? How did she handle the fame and instant stardom-comparison to stars today? How did other actors/actresses see her? What was the extent of her humanitarian work? Relevant Research Alexander Walker ( author of the first book I read ) is a notable critic who has done many biographies, including ones on Elizabeth Taylor, Vivien Leigh, and Bette Davis. His most extensive work is in British cinema, and was a highly influential person in the film industry. Research and Findings 1) Light biography of Audrey's adolescence Her life during WWII and as a child was hard which contributed to who she became. 2) The beginnings of her acting career/how she got into it She did it for reasons different from what stars of time or stars of today do it. 3) What she was like as an actress-her attitude, and treatment towards other people. She had the capacity to be diva, but wasn't 4) Compared to other stars of her time who was she...what made her stand out in her era? New York times article- didn't try to do the "girl next door" 5) Marriage and life as a mom became very private and focused on her children 6) Beginning of Humanitarian work Eithiopian mission trip. Interview. How it was rooted in her war life Conclusion: Audrey Hepburn was unlike any other star. She was famous for apparent reasons: a successful film star, a profound fashion sense, a beautiful face. But further than these she was iconic because she defied the stereotypes of stars-both then and now, and lent a hand to those less fortunate. She made a difference both on screen and off, and as a star One of my favorite scenes from the movie ( partly because of the amazing setting on the Spanish Steps. With two biographies under my belt, it feels like Audrey is an old friend. I have learned detail after detail on almost all aspects of her life: adolescence, early stage work, first films, height of fame, marriages, motherhood and humanitarian work. It is without a doubt that Audrey is the most iconic of film stars, but with learning more on who she was, the reasons behind this label of "icon" were beginning to change.
I ventured out of the library and onto the web, eager to find out more, and ready for a briefer source, I decided to read a New York Times article from a few years ago entitled, "Audrey the Thorough-bread." It focused on her fame and what made her the icon she was and still is. The author explained how the allure behind Audrey wasn't due to her "girl next door" image-which was the label most actresses were going for. No, Audrey was sophisticated, classy and seemingly flawless to to American audiences. While other stars were gaining their extra fame from having flaws; a sob-story childhood, bad judgment in men, attempting to suicide, Audrey was famous for the sole reason that she was who she was- beautiful, talented, and keen. She was "unspoiled by Hollywood," her problems never being used as a tool to catapult her status. The article really showed me how different Audrey was for her time- she did have issues, issues in her marriage and with her estranged father, but neither was a public matter, and especially used as a strategy to get attention. Audrey contrasted greatly with the typical film star. This served as a great piece to really let me see who Audrey was as a star, but left me wanting more. The biographies had shown me the life story of a star, and of the amazing things about Audrey, a few stood out, and one was most definlty her reaction and life with fame. Audrey was someone beyond the fame, while most stars were not. Audrey rose to fame fairly quickly, but retired from major films in the early 70s, to focus on her marriage and motherhood. However, the last years of her life were solely dedicated to helping others. I decided to investigate this on her page on the UNICEF website. Her first mission was to Eithiopia in the early 80s, and it was the first of many. She traveled all over the world: helping kids off the streets in Ecuador, starting projects to end abuse against women in third world countries, and even visiting a polio vaccine site. Her work took her to Washington where she testified before Congress and launched the first State of the World; Children report. Her work accumulated into one of the highest honors of all time- The Presidential Medal of Honor which was awarded to her in December of 1992. The page on Audrey through the UNICEF database really informed me on the work she did, and gave a more focused view on her humanitarian work. It is amazing to think that one person did this in one lifetime. The details on her work as an ambassador were followed by a brief bio, filled with the same information of the two other books I read.Yet, I soon found myself intrigued more by her humanitarian work than her film work, and for a simple reason. Everyone knows Audrey as a film star, and attribute her icon status to her acting ability, sense of fashion, and classy persona-all of these are true, and I once thought that it was because of those sole reasons that she was considered an icon. However, once I learned more and more about who she was as a PERSON not a star, I found that there was more than these common reasons. I found her class away from the cameras and her refusal to make a mess of herself for attention iconic. I found her humanitarian efforts and ever-giving heart to be iconic. Yes, she lit up the screen, making anyone fall in love with the movie in a second, but it is easily missed that her life outside of the movies, who she was as just Audrey a girl, not Audrey the film star made her TRULY iconic. I had enjoyed Walker's biography of Audrey so much that I decided to read another. The topic for my paper hadn't hit me yet- I knew I wanted it to be on Audrey, but I didn't know what to focus it on, her life story is magnificent and dignified, and it was hard to choose just one thing. Hoping that I would find a "spark" of sorts to my research, I picked up another biographical account of Miss Hepburn, written by Ian Woodward, it was entitled, Audrey Hepburn: Fair Lady of the Screen.
The plot of the book was just as any other biography and held the same information as the one by Walker. Chronicling the treacherous and then triumphant life of Audrey, Woodward divided her story into four parts; her early life and the war, her times as a young ballerina and first tastes of film, the stardom that came and finally her life as a mother and then UNICEF ambassador. Although providing several informative pages on WWll and Audrey's experiences, I found Walker's recounter of it to be more striking and insightful. However, after re-reading similar information on Audrey and a war torn Europe, I began to understand and realize the magnitude of influence it had on her. Tracing through the events of an iconic life, Woodward explained the family troubles she had early on, and how a young ballerina found her voice and spotlight, as well as what happened when fame hit. Woodward truly explained who Hepburn was on set and to other colleagues, and depicted how quickly a woman of mere twenties rose so highly in fame and popularity. Woodward also touched on the two spouses she had and the marriage difficulties that occurred, which remained surprisingly private ( a stark contrast from today's celebrity relationships). The last part of four talked about the motherhood and other diversions that happened on the tail-end of a tremendously successful career. Because of having read another biography directly before reading this one made it feel boring-mostly due to the fact that I had Just heard the story before. Regardless of that, Woodward was able to take an iconic person and include only the information that was both amazing and important. It did seem to drag out a little towards the end, but otherwise it had great elements to it that made it an enjoyable read. Woodward included a special preface and a page of quotes of Hepburn on herself. This was quite an interesting way to start, and set up an atmosphere in which we know Audrey as a friend, and understand her as a human being, not as an actress. Woodward also gave more information as to the way Audrey was around others and the way they were around her. Adored. In one word, Audrey was adored. Adored and appreciated for her work, her skills and her class. Although reading yet another biography where the information was almost exactly the same was boring, a new found idea had been brought to mind and my love and curiosity for Audrey plunged me again into her world, a world I wanted to see and understand. "She gave people the feeling that they had made a sudden and very fortunate discovery the moment they laid eyes on her."1/31/2014 16:47:33 There was more to Audrey than just a pretty face on a big screen. To start my journey into the iconic life of Audrey Hepburn I had two main question in mind. Who was she before the films? and who was she outside of the films? I, like many other people, knew her only for her fame in the movie industry, but nothing else. As an audience in a theater we tend to characterize the actress by the person she portrays, attributing only acting with their name. To begin, I delved into the unknown, and past of Audrey by reading "Audrey: The Real Story" a biographical account by Alexander Walker.
Walker starts out like any other biographer would-from the beginning. He told of Audrey's childhood and of her own memories as a baby. Audrey's childhood took place in multiple countries in Europe including Belgium and the Netherlands. But her young life was not one of smooth sailing. Walker speaks of the struggles she encountered with her parents who held Fascist sympathies in Europe, her father being a true Nazi believer. Continuing, he writes about Audrey's own wartime experiences and the impact it made on her adolescence. Audrey's parents soon separated as her father had an extra-marital affair who then abruptly left. She moved with her mother to England while the war continued but they soon returned to the Netherlands when Britain declared war on Germany, hoping that the Netherlands would remain neutral. Audrey suffered from malnutrition among other things and even had to to change her name, while still aiding the Dutch resistance. She can vividly remember trainloads of Jews being taken away, and the starvation her town encountered needless to say it was a war that would not be forgotten. By the end of the war, Audrey was a prominent ballet dancer, with a lot of talent. Her acting work began as she was cast as a chorus girl and dancer in a theater production in London, mainly to earn as much money as she could. Soon after she signed with a British freelance acting agency and starred in a string of lesser-known films, and theater productions which toured the US, before getting her big break in "Roman Holiday." This was the true start of her career and soon after she starred in a string of successful movies including, Sabrina, and War and Peace as well as Funny Face, and finally Breakfast at Tiffany's, where her "little black dress" changed the fashion world forever. She had become a star, her style, and acting forever leaving an imprint. By now, the late 1950s she had won multiple awards allocating to that position. A young girl in a war-torn continent had become an actress with an unforgettable face and mesmerizing smile. Walker goes on to give detail on many of her movies, as well as her personal life-which included her marriage to Mel Ferrer and then Andrei Dotti and the births of her two children. The years go by and Audrey continues to be in movies throughout the 60s and late 70s. A new chapter in her life began when she started her humanitarian career. She was appointed Goodwill Abassador to Unicef and made multiple trips to Africa and Turkey. An icon in both movies and humanitarianism, Audrey had a heart that would not stop giving. Walker tells about her mission to help, which she often attributed to the horrible war experiences of malnutrition she had. Ending of course with the last years of life and her death, Walker examined the life of an icon with meticulous detail and admiration. Biographies can often be boring, filled with dates and events that all seem to slur together. However, I found Walker's take on the eventful life of Audrey to be informed and interesting. Intertwining director's and fellow actor's quotes on Audrey, Walker truly gave me an idea of who Audrey was, not just what she did. The biography could have been a simple retelling of dates and events, but Walker did justice to the incredible life of Hepburn, leaving no grimy detail out, including the ups and downs of her life. Yes, Audrey was iconic, but she was human and the author made one realize how she, just as every other human, had her own fair share of struggles. After reading this biography I felt like I saw Audrey in a new light, for she had her flaws, her mistakes, her failures, and of course her triumphs. Walker gave so much insight into the life of an actress who many people only see as that, an actress. But Audrey was so much more than that, she was a teenager with divorced parents living in a war torn world, an aspiring actress who earned her way to fame, a young woman who fell in love, a mother, a person who made mistakes and struggled, a mother and of course a giver- Audrey was all of these. Black and white movies aren't all that appealing to an eleven year old. They're used to colorful, teenage-idol filled movies with almost no plot. I was like this, only wanting to see movies with the latest teen stars and movies with practically no substance to it. But, one winter day when I was eleven, my Dad made me watch my first black and white film. I stared at the box, an image of a woman and a man on a scooter with painted features, and a title in outdated font sprawling across the top reading "Roman Holiday." Little did I know how much this film would change me. A reluctant eleven year old sat on the couch waiting for the movie to begin, loud trumpets and orchestral sounds boomed and the title in a boxy font came across the screen. Another drumroll echoed and her name appeared on the screen. "Audrey Hepburn" a person I had never heard of, but a person who would soon become iconic to me.
I was entranced by the film which told about a girl ( who was really a princess) running around the exquisite city of Rome with an American journalist ( who didn't know who she really was). It was a simple , romantic tale told so beautifully and acted so well. I have a strong belief that good movies are movies that change you, and most usually have you crying or laughing, or really thinking by the time they are over. "Roman Holiday" left my eleven-year-old self with the beginning of what would be a long appreciation for Audrey Hepburn and for classic movies. Audrey breathed color into the movie. Big dark eyes complemented her porcelain skin and a rowdy laugh made her as much humorous as she was beautiful. I took it upon myself in the next several years to watch almost all of her movies- loving her acting, as well as the style of old films. No longer did I pursue the next tween movie on Netflix, but classics like "My Fair Lady" or "Gone with the Wind." And through this new love for old films I began to research more about Audrey Hepburn, who she was, what she did, what she was like. Audrey was remarkable to say the least, A successful star who had a gracious heart and strong values, and never let the fame to her head. Audrey was the epitome of class. Through this blog I hope to give more insight on Audrey, and all the good that she did. She changed my own personal view on movies, creating a new appreciation for the classics and I wish that I can do the same for others. Completely and forever altering the films, fashion, and fame of her time, Audrey Hepburn was as iconic as it gets. |