My inspiration for this post came from my dear, longtime blogging friend, Debbie @ Musings by an ND Domer's Mom, who is not only a gifted...
If you've been reading my blog for sometime now, you know how much I admired the grace, beauty, and talent of Audrey Hepburn.
Yet for all the documentaries I've watched about her life, I will inevitably stumble upon one that I haven't seen. Such as it was last week, when I discovered the documentary entitled, Darcey Russell - Looking for Audrey. For as much as I already knew about Audrey Hepburn, I discovered even more details though this documentary. It seemed to peel away additional layers of her life, revealing more of what made Audrey Hepburn such a special human being.
This is the last picture taken before her death, with Sean.
For all the glamour and success that she experienced in her career, she was an extremely modest and down-to-earth person. She had an amazing way of separating her career from her personal life; knowing that they each had purpose and value, but that her personal life was the most important, particularly when it came to her children. In fact, she chose to live far away from Hollywood and would only travel there when she was doing a film. But other than that, she wanted no part of the Hollywood lifestyle. She was often described as a fashion icon, but she was much more than that.
To look at Audrey Hepburn in many of her films, you would assume she had a very charmed life growing up because she always had a regal and royal essence about her. You would also assume that because she brought so much light to the world, she never knew darkness. Yet, she had an extremely difficult life as a child. During the Second World War, she suffered under the brutal Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Her father (who she worshiped) walked out on her when she was only six years old, leaving her with a feeling of abandonment. She suffered from malnutrition from age 9 up until she turned 16, which affected her health for the rest of her life. And her mother, who encouraged her to pursue a ballet career, also made her feel that she was not good enough. In fact, later in her career after she became a star, Audrey's mother said to her, "Considering you have no talent, it's amazing how far you got."
So no, Audrey didn't have a charmed life, however, she was charming in spite of it.
With her mother, Ella van Heemstra.
With her father, Joseph Victor Anthony Ruston. Throughout her life, Audrey tried numerous times to reconnect with her father so that they could talk about what had happened in her childhood. Yet, she realized that he was an emotional invalid who did not have the ability to express his feelings. So he remained silent.
Audrey in ballet class. She used to perform to raise money for the Dutch Resistance.
Hepburn was first married to American actor Mel Ferrer, and then to an Italian doctor, Andrea Dotti.
After suffering two miscarriages, she had a son with each – Sean in 1960 by Ferrer, and Luca in 1970 by Dotti
She adored her sons, and they her.
Although they never married, Audrey met Dutch actor, Robert Wolders, and they lived together until her passing. It was said that her relationship with Wolders was the happiest and healthiest. They met in 1980 at a dinner party thorough a mutual friend and had an instant connection, feeling as if they were soulmates.
Audrey Hepburn's home was in Tolochenaz, a village near Lausanne on the shores of Lake Geneva. She loved Switzerland.
Audrey in her garden.
Audrey adored animals and had many pets.
Because of her love for children, later in life, Audrey focused much of her time and energy on being the Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF.
It was after returning home from one of her trips to Somalia, Audrey began experiencing severe abdominal pain. After being examined, she was diagnosed with a rare form of abdominal cancer. After chemotherapy, she went into hospice care at her home in Switzerland. On January 20, 1993, Hepburn passed away in her sleep. But before she did, she told her son, Sean, that it had been the best Christmas she ever had because she was surrounded by the love of her family in her home.
Audrey Hepburn's final film was, Always. She accepted the role because she wanted to work with Steven Spielberg.
And to me it was the perfect role because she played the character of Hap, who was an angel.
And that's exactly how I always thought of Audrey Hepburn.
I saw her as an earth angel.
She took the life that she had been given, both the dark and the light, and lived it.
And gave back love...
You will always be missed, dear lady!
Have a great rest of your week, everyone!
💗
Audrey Hepburn Links:
-My Favorite Audrey Hepburn Film: Breakfast at Tiffany's
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