Audrey Hepburn was an Oscar-winning actress who only appeared in a relatively small number of movies before her death in 1993 at the age of 63, but many of them remain classics. Let’s take a look back at 15 of her greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Hepburn was born in 1929 in Ixelles, Brussels. Her family moved to the Netherlands in 1939 after Britain declared war on Germany, and when Hitler’s army invaded in 1940, they were forced to remain for another five years. Hepburn was affected by the occupation both physically and psychologically, witnessing atrocities and suffering from malnutrition when food became scarce. (She would owe her famously slim waistline to this.)
Once the war ended in 1945, Hepburn began ballet training in Amsterdam and started appearing as a chorus girl in several musicals after moving to London. She popped up in small roles in a few films during that time (including a non-speaking part in 1951’s “The Lavender Hill Mob”), and was cast as the lead in the original Broadway production of “Gigi.”
She shot to stardom with her leading role in “Roman Holiday” (1953), playing a sheltered princess who falls in love with an American journalist (Gregory Peck). The film won her the Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA as Best Actress and firmly established her screen persona as a glamorous, effervescent and endlessly charming leading lady.
Hepburn would earn subsequent Oscar nominations for her leading roles in “Sabrina” (1954), “The Nun’s Story” (1959), “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” (1961) and “Wait Until Dark” (1967). All but “Sabrina” brought her Golden Globe bids, as did “War and Peace” (1956), “Love in the Afternoon” (1957), “Charade” (1963), “My Fair Lady” (1964) and “Two for the Road” (1967). She won additional BAFTAs for “The Nun’s Story” and “Charade,” competing again for “Sabrina” and “War and Peace.”
On the TV side, she won a posthumous Emmy for producing the informational program “Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn” (1993). She also won a posthumous Grammy for the spoken word children’s album “Audrey Hepburn’s Enchanted Tales” in 1994 and a Tony for her leading role in the play “Ondine” in 1954, making her just one of 15 people to clinch the EGOT. She received the Cecil B. DeMille prize in 1990 and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian award posthumously in 1990.
Tour our photo gallery of Hepburn’s 15 greatest films, including the titles listed as well as “Funny Face” (1957), “The Children’s Hour” (1961), “How to Steal a Million” (1966) and more.
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15. WAR AND PEACE (1956)
Image Credit: Uncredited/AP/REX/Shutterstock Directed by King Vidor. Screenplay by Bridget Boland, Robert Westerby, King Vidor, Mario Camerini, Ennio De Concini, and Ivo Perilli, based on the novel by Leo Tolstoy. Starring Audrey Hepburn, Henry Fonda, Mel Ferrer, Oskar Homolka, Anita Ekberg, Herbert Lom.
Tolstoy’s epic novel makes its way to the big screen in this lumbering, uneven adaptation. There’s certainly moments of brilliance in King Vidor’s movie about how Napoleon’s 1812 invasion of Russia affected the lives of two aristocratic families, particularly in the stunning battle sequences. Yet the human drama falters due to a lackluster script, which attempts to boil the complexities of a 1200-plus page book down to just three-and-a-half hours. Still, there’s no faulting the performances, especially Hepburn as Natasha Rostova and Henry Fonda as Count Pierre Bezukhov. The film earned three Oscar nominations, including Best Director. Hepburn competed at the Golden Globes and BAFTA, but was snubbed at the Academy.
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14. THE UNFORGIVEN (1960)
Image Credit: Hecht-Hill-Lancaster/United Artists/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by John Huston. Screenplay by Ben Maddow, based on the novel by Alan Le May. Starring Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn, Audie Murphy, John Saxon, Charles Bickford, Doug McClure.
Not to be confused with Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-winning masterpiece, “The Unforgiven” was John Huston’s attempt to deal with the inherent racism of the western genre. It centers on a frontier family, with Lillian Gish as the stern matriarch; Burt Lancaster, Audie Murphy, and Doug McClure as her sons; and Hepburn as her adopted daughter. Their lives are upended when it’s suspected that Hepburn was actually taken from the local Kiowa tribe, causing the townspeople to turn against her. Unfortunately, the production was hindered by complications, including a tragic miscarriage Hepburn suffered when falling from a horse and the replacement of original director Delbert Mann with Huston. You wouldn’t know those problems existed by the onscreen results, which turn a critical eye towards Hollywood’s darker tendencies.
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13. THEY ALL LAUGHED (1981)
Image Credit: Time-Life/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Peter Bogdanovich. Written by Peter Bogdanovich and Blaine Novak. Starring Ben Gazzara, Audrey Hepburn, John Ritter, Colleen Camp, Patti Hansen, Dorothy Stratten, George Morfogen, Blaine Novak, Sean Ferrer, Linda MacEwen.
Hepburn only appeared in two films during the 1980s: a cameo in Steven Spielberg’s “Always” (1989) and a supporting turn in this romantic comedy from Peter Bogdanovich. “They All Laughed” focuses on three private detectives (Ben Gazzara, John Ritter, and Blaine Novak) investigating two women (Hepburn and Dorothy Stratten) suspected of infidelity. Eventually, Gazzara falls in love with Hepburn and Ritter with Stratten, leading to further complications. The film’s release was marred when Stratten was brutally murdered by her estranged husband, Paul Snider. (Stratten was dating Bogdanovich at the time.) Tragedy aside, this is a little gem of a film that’s improved with time. Incidentally, Hepburn and Gazzara became romantically involved while shooting “Bloodline” (1979), proving that art really does imitate life.
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12. THE CHILDREN’S HOUR (1961)
Image Credit: Moviestore Collection/REX/Shutterstock Directed by William Wyler. Screenplay by John Michael Hayes, based on the play by Lillian Hellman. Starring Shirley MacLaine, Audrey Hepburn, James Garner, Miriam Hopkins, Fay Bainter, Karen Balkin, Veronica Cartwright.
Seen today, this adaptation of Lillian Hellman’s play might be more interesting as an example of changing attitudes towards a taboo subject matter than for it’s filmmaking. At the same time, it’s a sad comment on our culture that it only feels slightly dated in certain aspects. “The Children’s Hour” centers on Karen (Hepburn) and Martha (Shirley MacLaine), two school teachers who are accused of being lesbians by a bratty student (Karen Balkin). Their lives are upended, especially when Martha reveals she does indeed have romantic feelings for Karen. As was the custom of the era, her admission leads to tragedy. Strong performances help the film overcome its more melodramatic moments. Interestingly enough, this was actually director William Wyler’s second screen version of the stage show; the first was “These Three” in 1936.
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11. HOW TO STEAL A MILLION (1966)
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by William Wyler. Screenplay by Harry Kurnitz, based on a story by George Bradshaw. Starring Audrey Hepburn, Peter O’Toole, Eli Wallach, Hugh Griffith, Charles Boyer.
Far from being an instructional video on grand larceny, “How to Steal a Million” is pure fun, a lightweight entertainment that’s all style and little substance. Hepburn plays Nicole Bonnet, the daughter of a wealthy Parisian (Hugh Griffith) who delights in forging priceless works of art and selling them to unsuspecting customers. When his copy of a famed Cellini sculpture is placed in a museum, he worries prison might be in his future. It’s up to his kid and an intrepid cat burglar (Peter O’Toole) to pull off a high-stakes heist to save him from the slammer. Director William Wyler keeps things bright and shimmery, placing his beautiful stars in a lovely French locale photographed in glorious Deluxe color by Charles Lang.
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10. LOVE IN THE AFTERNOON (1957)
Image Credit: Allied Artists/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Billy Wilder. Screenplay by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond, based on the play ‘Ariane, jeune fille russe’ by Claude Anet. Starring Gary Cooper, Audrey Hepburn, Maurice Chevalier, John McGiver.
Hepburn reunited with “Sabrina” director Billy Wilder for another sparkling romantic comedy. “Love in the Afternoon” centers on an aging playboy (Gary Cooper) who’s being investigated by a widowed private detective (Maurice Chevalier) hoping to entrap him with the wife of a client. But Cooper soon becomes infatuated with the P.I.’s daughter (Hepburn). Sure, the age difference between 56-year-old Cooper and his 28-year-old costar is a bit jarring, but that doesn’t distract from the fun of this pitch-perfect bauble that’s a tribute to Wilder’s mentor, Ernst Lubitsch (right down to the casting of Chevalier). Hepburn earned a Golden Globe nomination for the role as Best Comedy/Musical Actress, but was snubbed at the Oscars.
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9. WAIT UNTIL DARK (1967)
Image Credit: Warner Bros/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Terence Young. Screenplay by Robert Carrington and Jane-Howard Carrington, based on the play by Frederick Knott. Starring Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Jack Weston.
Hepburn earned her fifth and final Oscar nomination for this heart-pounding adaptation of Frederick Knott’s hit play. In “Wait Until Dark,” she plays a recently blinded woman who’s terrorized by a trio of thugs (Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna, and Jack Weston) who want to recover a doll filled with heroin that’s been mistakenly placed in her apartment. As directed by Terence Young (“Dr. No”), the film at times does fail to escape its stage roots. But there are more than a few nail-biting moments, and Hepburn engenders great sympathy as she uses her wit and imagination to save her life. Arkin is equally strong as the sadistic, terrifying gang leader. Hepburn lost the Best Actress prize to Katharine Hepburn (no relation) for “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” (1967).
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8. THE NUN’S STORY (1959)
Image Credit: Warner Bros/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Fred Zinnemann. Screenplay by Robert Anderson, based on the novel by Kathryn Hulme. Starring Audrey Hepburn, Peter Finch, Edith Evans, Peggy Ashcroft, Dean Jagger, Mildred Dunnock, Beatrice Straight, Colleen Dewhurst.
Hepburn dons the habit to play a young nun in Fred Zinnemann’s penetrating drama. Adapted from Kathryn Hulme’s novel, “The Nun’s Story” centers on a young woman who leaves her wealthy Belgian family to join a convent during World War II. She’s sent to the Congo to become a nurse, where combat, illness, and tragedy test her devotion. Zinnemann directs with an invisible hand, allowing his actors to take the spotlight, including Peter Finch as a brilliant doctor, Colleen Dewhurst as a violent mental patient, and Dean Jagger as Hepburn’s father. The film earned eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress, going home empty handed. Hepburn did earn the BAFTA and New York Film Critics Circle prizes for her work, so it wasn’t a total loss. (The Academy rewarded Simone Signoret for “Room at the Top” that year.)
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7. TWO FOR THE ROAD (1967)
Image Credit: 20th Century Fox/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Stanley Donen. Written by Frederic Raphael. Starring Audrey Hepburn, Albert Finney, Eleanor Bron, William Daniels, Claude Dauphin, Nadia Gray.
As the old Hollywood gave way to the new, filmmakers like Stanley Donen suddenly found themselves out of favor with audiences. Yet it was because of this generational change that he was able to make “Two for the Road,” a surprisingly frank and modern romantic comedy about a long-married couple (Hepburn and Albert Finney) reflecting on their relationship while traveling through the south of France. Working from an Oscar-nominated, nonlinear script by Frederic Raphael, Donen delves deep into his character’s lives, infusing his signature style with jump cuts made popular by the French New Wave. The lead actors match this modernity in their performances, with Hepburn in particular delighting in skewering her glamorous onscreen image. Neither performer was recognized at the Academy, although Hepburn did compete in Best Actress for “Wait Until Dark” that year.
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6. FUNNY FACE (1957)
Image Credit: Paramount/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Stanley Donen. Written by Leonard Gershe. Starring Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Kay Thompson, Michel Auclair, Robert Flemyng.
“Funny Face” finds Stanley Donen at his most stylish, a film so awash in splendor you can almost drink the visuals. Although it’s based in part on a 1927 Gershwin brothers musical also starring Fred Astaire, Leonard Gershe’s Oscar-nominated screenplay is a total original (aside from using four songs from the original show, including the catchy “S’Wonderful”). Hepburn is radiant as a bookstore employee who catches the eye of a fashion photographer (Astaire), who transforms her into a star. Kay Thompson is a hoot as Astaire’s eccentric magazine editor. The films striking use of color brought it additional nominations for cinematography, costumes, and art direction. The wardrobe in particular is a sight to behold, with Hepburn donning everything from a flowing red gown to a black beatnik turtleneck.
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5. MY FAIR LADY (1964)
Image Credit: Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock Directed by George Cukor. Screenplay by Alan Jay Lerner, based on the stage musical by Lerner and Frederick Loewe and the play ‘Pygmalion’ by George Bernard Shaw. Starring Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Gladys Cooper.
Decades later, “My Fair Lady” is just as loverly as ever. Lerner and Loewe’s classic musical translates beautifully to the big screen thanks to George Cukor’s nimble direction, eye-popping sets and costumes, and ace performances by the entire cast. Rex Harrison reprises his stage role of Henry Higgins, a pompous phonetics professor who wagers he can make a flower girl (Hepburn) presentable for high society. Signature numbers include “The Rain in Spain,” “On the Street Where You Live,” and “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly.” The film swept the Oscars, earning 12 nominations and eight prizes, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor (Harrison). Hepburn was famously snubbed despite competing at the Golden Globes, perhaps because voters knew her singing was dubbed by Marni Nixon. Ironically, the Best Actress prize that year went to Julie Andrews (“Mary Poppins”), who originated the role of Eliza Doolittle on Broadway.
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4. CHARADE (1963)
Image Credit: Universal/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Stanley Donen. Screenplay by Peter Stone, based on the short story by Stone and Marc Behm. Starring Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau, James Coburn, George Kennedy, Ned Glass.
“Charade” is one of Stanley Donen’s great entertainments, a bright, colorful Hitchcock homage that’s equal parts comedy, romance, and suspense. Hepburn plays an American widow in Paris evading three crooks (James Coburn, George Kennedy, and Ned Glass) who want a fortune stolen by her murdered husband. It’s up to a handsome stranger (Cary Grant) and a C.I.A. agent (Walter Matthau) to save her. But who can she really trust? Donen always manages to strike the perfect tone, thanks to Peter Stone’s crackerjack script and charming performances from the entire cast, not to mention a beautifully photographed European local. Henri Mancini and Johnny Mercer’s title song earned an Oscar nomination. Hepburn and Grant competed at the Golden Globes and BAFTA, with Hepburn winning the latter prize.
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3. SABRINA (1954)
Image Credit: Paramount/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Billy Wilder. Screenplay by Billy Wilder, Ernest Lehman, and Samuel A. Taylor, based on Taylor’s play. Starring Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, William Holden, Walter Hampden, John Williams, Martha Hyer, Joan Vohs.
Since the world fell in love with Hepburn, it’s not surprising that Humphrey Bogart and William Holden would as well. In Billy Wilder’s “Sabrina,” she plays the glamorous daughter of a chauffeur who works for the wealthy Larrabee family. She has been in love with playboy son David (Holden) all her life, and he suddenly starts returning her affections. But older brother Linus (Bogart) finds himself drawn to her as well, and just might be a better match. It’s a testament to Wilder’s modern sensibilities that this holds up better than the 1995 remake, with Julia Ormond trying to fill Hepburn’s fashionable shoes. The film snagged six Oscar nominations, including Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Screenplay, winning for Edith Head’s dazzling costumes. Hepburn lost her bid to Grace Kelly (“The Country Girl”).
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2. ROMAN HOLIDAY (1953)
Image Credit: Paramount/REX/Shutterstock Directed by William Wyler. Screenplay by Dalton Trumbo, Ian McLellan Hunter, John Dighton, story by Trumbo. Starring Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert, Hartley Power, Harcourt Williams, Margaret Rawlings.
William Wyler’s effervescent romantic comedy introduced Hepburn to the world, winning her an Oscar as Best Actress in the process. “Roman Holiday” centers on a royal princess (Hepburn) who’s grown bored with her sheltered life, and escapes her guardians while vacationing in Rome. She meets an American reporter (Gregory Peck) who, hungry for a scoop, agrees to show her around town. The Oscar-winning script by Dalton Trumbo (working uncredited due to the Blacklist) develops their relationship in unique and surprising ways, while Wyler makes good use of his exotic location. The film won an additional prize for Edith Head’s costumes and earned seven more bids, including Best Picture and Best Director. Hepburn also won the Golden Globe and BAFTA for her performance, which firmly established her screen persona as an effervescent, glamorous leading lady.
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1. BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S (1961)
Image Credit: Paramount/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock Directed by Blake Edwards. Screenplay by George Axelrod, based on the novella by Truman Capote. Starring Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, Mickey Rooney.
This beloved adaptation of Truman Capote’s novella is far from perfect. The casting of Mickey Rooney as the offensively cartoonish Mr. Yunioshi, the upstairs neighbor of Holly Golightly (Hepburn), causes Blake Edwards’ film to come to a screeching halt whenever he’s onscreen. Yet Hepburn is given the role of a lifetime as a New York City socialite with impeccable fashion sense and a penchant for wild parties. Although she hopes to marry a rich man, she falls in love with a struggling writer (George Peppard) who lives in her building. Even if you haven’t seen the film, you’ve seen the iconic image of Hepburn as Holly, clad in a black gown and gloves, accessorized with a tiara and lengthy cigarette holder. It’s the character that made her a hero to teenage girls everywhere. Henry Mancini earned Oscars for his score and song “Moon River,” co-written by Johnny Mercer. Hepburn competed in Best Actress, losing to Sophia Loren (“Two Women”).
