Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993), the Belgian-born actor and humanitarian, became one of Hollywood's best-known stars with her leading roles in films such as “Roman Holiday” (1953), “Funny Face” (1957) and “Breakfast at Tiffany's” (1961).
She was born Edda van Heemstra Hepburn-Ruston in Brussels. Her father was a British banker and her mother a Dutch baroness, and Hepburn was educated at private schools in England and the Netherlands. In World War II (1939-1945) she suffered oppression and malnutrition while living in the Netherlands with her family during the Nazi occupation. She later worked as a model, and started acting in films in 1951.
Hepburn starred in many movies, including “War and Peace” (1956), “The Unforgiven” (1960), “Charade” (1963) and “My Fair Lady” (1964). She won an Academy Award as best actress for her role in “Roman Holiday” and was nominated for best actress for her roles in “Sabrina” (1954), “The Nun's Story” (1959), “Breakfast at Tiffany's” and “Wait Until Dark” (1967).
In 1988 Hepburn became a special ambassador to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and spent the last years of her life working for needy children, especially in Africa and Latin America.