When you think of Audrey Hepburn, perhaps you picture an elegant Holly Golightly, dressed in pearls and a timeless black dress, delicately eating a Danish pastry on Fifth Avenue, NYC. You might recognize Ms. Hepburn for her many Academy, Emmy, Tony, and Golden Globe Awards. She is commonly known as both a fashion and American cinema icon. Her classic, refined style still has a great and notable influence on the fashion industry today.
It is not surprising that we remember Audrey Hepburn in this way, and there is no reason to discredit these accomplishments as anything less than superior.
The problem is that many of us fail to recognize that Ms. Hepburn’s most notable accomplishments have nothing to do with Hollywood or Vogue. She spoke six languages: English, Dutch, French, Spanish, Italian, and German. She dedicated much of her life to UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund). She travelled to Ethiopia, Turkey, Vietnam, Somalia, and numerous Southern and Central American countries. For her humanitarian work in these places, George H.W. Bush awarded her The Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor.
Ms. Hepburn was an astounding ballerina, a “star pupil” with high potential for a renowned career as a dancer. She danced during the German Occupation of the Netherlands to fundraise money for the Dutch Resistance. Sadly, she and her teachers eventually realized she was unable to fulfill her potential as a dancer due to the effects of wartime on her body (malnutrition and respiratory problems).
Ms. Hepburn endured five heartbreaking miscarriages, and suffered when her father abruptly left after being caught in an affair with the family’s nanny, which she calls “the most traumatic event of her life.” Despite these hardships, Hepburn left the world with a strong legacy that will not soon be forgotten. Hepburn’s dazzling beauty, acting career, fashion influence, and even her jutting collarbones, are often glorified by the masses as her greatest contributions to the world.
Audrey Hepburn is perhaps one of the greatest humanitarians in recent history, so why does such a large part of our society tend to remember her merely as "pretty?" Perhaps we should each individually reflect on what we truly value in a role model. In doing so, I believe we can come together as a society to remember Audrey Hepburn equally for her generous heart, intelligent mind, and artistic talents.
