Timeless Actress Revealed A Secret Heartbreak Behind Her Most Iconic Role

Audrey Hepburn turned in one among her most beloved performances in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, however real-life heartbreak from the long-lasting star’s life makes the film all of the extra compelling. Based mostly on the eponymous novella by Truman Capote, the 1961 adaptation got here on the peak of Hepburn’s profession, and went on to turn out to be a bona fide popular culture phenomenon that continues to affect fashion right now. Hepburn’s flip as Holly Golightly not solely impressed an unmistakable trend look, however has additionally turn out to be one thing of an archetype that future characters could be modeled after, and the defining picture of Hepburn’s profession.

Although the movie is hardly with out its flaws, particularly its downright racist depiction of Asian folks, Breakfast at Tiffany’s has stood the check of time and is a spotlight of the final years of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Whereas it’s typically seen as a breezy comedy from the 1960s, Breakfast at Tiffany’s is definitely much more introspective and character-driven than it seems on the floor. Holly Golightly is a compelling and wealthy character, and Audrey Hepburn’s efficiency within the lead function was partially knowledgeable by her personal experiences. Hepburn is finally inseparable from the character that she originated.

Audrey Hepburn Skilled Disappointment & Insecurity Points All through Her Life

Regardless of Being An Icon On The Large Display, She Was A Human Being Too

Although she would go on to be one of many greatest movie stars of all time, Audrey Hepburn’s life began underneath rocky circumstances, and she or he struggled with the scars of her early days for the remainder of her life. As documentary filmmaker Helana Coan defined in a chunk from Harper’s Bazaar, Hepburn “suffered lots in her life, and she or he turned that into one thing stunning.” The struggling began early when her mother and father separated when she was solely six years previous, and she or he would then spend the years of WWII underneath Nazi occupation within the Netherlands.

The documentary Audrey unearthed an interview with Hepburn from Life in 1992, and within the dialogue she talked about that “[My father leaving] was the primary massive blow I had as a baby, it was a trauma that left a really massive mark on me, it left me insecure for all times” (through The Guardian). This sense of abandonment and insecurity would colour her relationships with males, and her two marriages have been a mirrored image of her conflicted seek for a father determine. Thankfully, her last long-term relationship (with Robert Wolders, whom she by no means married) was a extra steady and optimistic union.

One other facet of her life that the documentary covers intimately is her struggles with physique picture points. As a result of Hepburn grew up underneath Nazi occupation within the Netherlands, she was subjected to close hunger, which induced her to develop a smaller body. Regardless of it being one among her defining bodily traits, Coan defined that “Her physique is just not one thing you need to aspire to have; she ended up that method as a result of she didn’t have a alternative – on account of tragedy.” It might even forestall her from pursuing ballet, one thing she was obsessed with in her youthful years.

Thinness has all the time been valued extremely in showbusiness, particularly for girls, however Hepburn’s attribute small body was a supply of nice insecurity for the star. As a substitute of merely being one among her logos and even property, it was a stark reminder of the overwhelming challenges she confronted in her youth. Very similar to the psychological scars of being deserted by her father, the bodily toll of historical past’s injustices was inescapable for the multi-talented actor. These points have been doubtless compounded by the truth that discussions about her determine typically overshadowed her best performances.

How Audrey Hepburn’s Private Experiences Relate To Holly Golightly In Breakfast At Tiffany’s

The Traditional Film Character Is Fairly Complicated

Casting Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly was not solely sensible as a result of she was such an incredible actor, but additionally due to the similarities between the 2. Although Hepburn was a self-confessed introvert, she additionally carried lots of ache in the identical method that Holly did all through the movie. Holly escaped the dullness of rural Texas in favor of a life within the massive metropolis, however issues aren’t as good as they appear. Her relationships with males are purely transactional, and it is clear that Holly is trying to fill some void inside herself utilizing males who aren’t a great match.

Audrey Hepburn’s two marriages (Mel Ferrer and Andrea Dotti) have been marred by emotional abuse and infidelity, and as Coan defined in Harper’s Bazaar, “Her father leaving vastly affected her sense of self-worth.” Holly additionally appears to have a low sense of shallowness, although she is gregarious and assured. She is keen to accept the most secure alternative in terms of males, although they’re typically heels and downright do not care about her. Ultimately, Holly picks Paul, however she has to be taught a couple of robust classes earlier than she makes her alternative.

Holly Golightly is such an interesting character as a result of she seems to have all of it on the floor, however there’s extra to the story. Audrey Hepburn was fairly related in actual life, and although she reached the head of stardom, her humanity was what made her so fascinating. The 2 aren’t precisely the identical, nonetheless, and that may be a testomony to Hepburn’s character abilities. She introduced the fitting components of herself to Holly with out abandoning the facets of the character that have been in opposition to her actual character.

Why Audrey Hepburn In Breakfast At Tiffany’s Stays One Of Cinema’s Best Performances

A Complicated Feminine Character With A Wrestle That Felt Actual

Although the latter years of the Nineteen Sixties would usher in a shift towards extra reasonable films, many movies from the early ’60s have been nonetheless shiny and stylized. Breakfast at Tiffany’s represents an fascinating center floor between the 2, and Hepburn’s efficiency remains to be the perfect a part of the film. The exaggerated and farcical plot is balanced by Hepburn’s down-to-earth flip as Golightly, and the character might have simply been completely overblown if one other actor had been solid to fill the function. Hepburn introduced magnificence and sophistication, however she’s an actual individual underneath that facade as effectively.

Audrey Hepburn’s highest-rated films embody:

Whereas there had been glorious examples earlier than Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Hollywood was nonetheless determining find out how to write compelling feminine characters that weren’t simply sexist stereotypes. Holly Golightly is one such early instance, and she or he has clear motivation that’s muddied by her personal selections. She’s imperfect, a bit jaded, and generally short-sighted, and that is what makes her so fascinating to observe. Audrey Hepburn’s real-life struggles introduced an air of tragedy to Golightly that exists proper under the floor, and would have completely ruined the film if it was absent.