Even now, nearly twenty years after her death, Audrey Hepburn remains one of the movie industry's most celebrated actresses.
Hepburn enjoyed a career that spanned forty years with a string of iconic roles and Oscar nominations. So to celebrate the star that Audrey Hepburn was FemaleFirst takes a look at the essential movies that you really must see.
Roman Holiday
The 1953 romantic comedy Roman Holiday shot unknown English actress Audrey Hepburn into the spotlight.
Hepburn won an Oscar for her portrayal of a modern-day princess rebelling against her royal obligations who explores Rome on her own.
Roman Holiday really is a classic in the genre of the romantic comedy as Peck and Hepburn complement each other beautifully; the character of Anne is naive and has been protected her whole life in contrast to Peck's worldly American.
While this movie isn't one of Hepburn's best known roles it is the movie that shot her to fame and is still a favourite amongst fans of this genre.
Breakfast At Tiffany's
Breakfast at Tiffany's is one of cinema's most classic movies and is one of actress Audrey Hepburn's most identifiable roles that produced many iconic images.
Breakfast at Tiffany's is an adaptation of Truman Capote's classic novella with Hepburn in the role of Holly Golightly.
Almost fifty years after Audrey Hepburn appeared as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's the character, particularly in the little black dress, still remains a cinema and poster icon in a classy romance movies that are no longer made.
For her performance Audrey Hepburn was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. With this role Hepburn cemented herself as one of cinema's greats with a character that has endured and will live on.
Wait Until Dark
It was another Academy Award nominated performance in 1967 or Hepburn with cat and mouse drama With Until Dark.
A doll containing a fortune in heroin is planted in Susy Hendrix', a blind woman, apartment and a ruthless criminal is desperate to get his hands on it. Through a series of ruses, the guy manages to get rid Susy's husband and trap her alone in the apartment.
Wait Until Dark is a tense and emotional movie that will have you on the end of your seat, Stephen King claims that this is one of the scariest movies ever made.
Hepburn gives a startling performance in the lead role and narrowly missed out on the Best Actress Oscar to Katherine Hepburn.
My Fair Lady
You can never say that Hepburn only ever stuck to one genre of movie proving this in 1964 when she starred alongside Rex Harrison in the big screen adaptation of Pygmalion, My Fair Lady to you and me.
Hepburn was perhaps a shock choice for the role of Eliza Doolittle for the movie after Julie Andrews was expected to reprise her stage roll on the big screen.
But by 1964 Hepburn was a major screen star and was considered more of a pull for the audience than Andrews, who was untested on the big screen at this time.
Despite a great performance from the actress her vocals were not used on the movie. The film picked up eight Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Harrison.
Charade
There was another change of pace in 1963 when Hepburn teamed up with Hollywood's Mr Smooth Cary Grant for comedy thriller Charade.
Lovely Reggie (Hepburn) is determined to divorce her wealthy, cold, and closed-mouthed husband, but someone throws him from a train before she gets the chance.
Left penniless in Paris with police suspicion resting heavily upon her, Reggie soon realizes she's in serious trouble--her husband stole money from three unscrupulous men, and they want the money back.
Hepburn and Grant sizzle together in the quick paced movie that deserves to be better known than it is. Both of them were nominated for a Golden Globe.
The Nun's Story
At the end of the fifties Hepburn wanted a more serious role and she got it in 1959 with the adaptation of The Nun's Story.
Hepburn plays a young nun dedicated to medical work in the African Congo and in World War II Belgium struggles to reconcile her independent spirit to the rigours and humility of a religious life.
Nun's Story is one of Hepburn's finest dramatic moments and for her performance she was once again nominated for an Oscar.
Other Hepburn performances that are well worth checking out include Funny Face, Sabrina, Paris When it Sizzles and Two For the Road.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
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