Biography
Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress of film, stage, and television. She held the record for the most Best Actress Oscar wins with 4 out of 12 nominations and was ranked as the greatest female star in the history of American cinema by the American Film Institute in 1999. She has also won an Emmy Award out of a total 5 Emmy nominations, two Tony Awards and eight Golden Globes. She was known for her sophisticated, headstrong and outspoken screen persona. Apart from her admirable acting and distinctive voice, her impact extended to fashion as well as she helped wearing trousers and pants more socially acceptable for women.
Raised in Connecticut by wealthy progressive parents, Hepburn turned to acting after university. After a rocky start on stage, she made her way to Hollywood by starring in A Bill of Divorcement (1932) alongside John Barrymore, which instantly brought her praise. A few early film successes, including her first Academy Award, for Morning Glory (1933) were not enough as she endured a string of flops. Apart from being voted "box office poison", her rocky relationship with the press and tomboyish fashion choices made her incredibly unpopular. She arranged with playwright Philip Barry to write a play with her in mind, one that smoothed over her prickly public image. This play, The Philadelphia Story, turned out to be a huge success on Broadway. Securing the film rights for herself with the help of Howard Hughes, Katharine Hepburn sold them to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on the condition that she reprise her leading role as Tracy Lord. The 1940 film was a hit and revived her flagging career, even earning her a third Academy Award for Best Actress nomination.
Throughout her six-decade career, Hepburn's filmography covered a range of genres, including screwball comedies, period dramas, and adaptations of works by top American playwrights. She co-starred with screen legends like Cary Grant), Humphrey Bogart, John Wayne, Laurence Olivier and Henry Fonda. Her most successful pairing was with Spencer Tracy, with whom she made multiple hit pictures. The last of their 9 films together was Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), which was completed shortly before Tracy's death. Her many performances the stage included plays by Shakespeare and Shaw, and a Broadway musical. She passed away from cardiac arrest on June 29, 2003, at her family home in Connecticut and since then, has been honored with several memorials.
Filmography
all 112
Movies 103
self 47
TV Shows 9
Narrator 1
Call Me Kate (2023)
Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation (2021)
Hannibal Hopkins et Sir Anthony (2021)
Yellowface: Asian Whitewashing and Racism in Hollywood (2019)
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood (2018)
In Search of Tracy Lord (2017)
Becoming Cary Grant (2017)
Katharine Hepburn: The Great Kate (2014)
Smash His Camera (2010)
Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff (2010)
Embracing Chaos: Making The African Queen (2010)
Private Screenings: Lauren Bacall (2005)
Broadway's Lost Treasures II (2004)
Cary Grant: A Class Apart (2004)
Cole Porter in Hollywood: True Love (2003)
Complicated Women (2003)
Bogart: The Untold Story (1997)
Katharine Hepburn: On Her Own Terms (1996)
The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story (1996)
The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful (1996)
Legends in Light: The Photography of George Hurrell (1995)
One Christmas (1994)
Tennessee Williams: Orpheus of the American Stage (1994)
Love Affair (1994)
That's Entertainment! III (1994)
This Can't Be Love (1994)
Intimate Portrait (1993)
Katharine Hepburn: All About Me (1993)
The Man Upstairs (1992)
Fonda on Fonda (1992)
Night of 100 Stars III (1990)
The Tales of Helpmann (1990)
Broadway's Dreamers: The Legacy of the Group Theatre (1989)
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life (1988)
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind (1988)
Cary Grant: A Celebration of a Leading Man (1988)
Bacall on Bogart (1988)
Laura Lansing Slept Here (1988)
Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues (1988)
The RKO Story: Tales From Hollywood (1987)
Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood (1987)
Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry (1986)
The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn (1986)
Grace Quigley (1985)
George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey (1985)
On Golden Pond (1981)
Starring Katharine Hepburn (1981)
The Corn Is Green (1979)
The Kennedy Center Honors (1978)
Olly, Olly, Oxen Free (1978)
That's Entertainment, Part II (1976)
Rooster Cogburn (1975)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? (1975)
Love Among the Ruins (1975)
Spécial cinéma (1974)
That's Entertainment! (1974)
The Glass Menagerie (1973)
A Delicate Balance (1973)
Hollywood: The Dream Factory (1972)
Directed by John Ford (1971)
The Trojan Women (1971)
Great Performances (1971)
The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969)
The Lion in Winter (1968)
Black History: Lost, Stolen or Strayed (1968)
The Dick Cavett Show (1968)
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)
aspekte (1965)
The Big Parade of Comedy (1964)
Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962)
Hollywood: The Selznick Years (1961)
Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
Desk Set (1957)
The Rainmaker (1956)
The Iron Petticoat (1956)
Tony Awards (1956)
Summertime (1955)
The Oscars (1953)
Pat and Mike (1952)
The African Queen (1952)
The Costume Designer (1950)
Adam's Rib (1949)
State of the Union (1948)
Song of Love (1947)
The Sea of Grass (1947)
Undercurrent (1946)
Without Love (1945)
Dragon Seed (1944)
Twenty Years After (1944)
Stage Door Canteen (1943)
Keeper of the Flame (1943)
Woman of the Year (1942)
Women in Defense (1941)
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound (1940)
Cavalcade of the Academy Awards (1940)
Holiday (1938)
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Stage Door (1937)
Quality Street (1937)
A Woman Rebels (1936)
Mary of Scotland (1936)
Sylvia Scarlett (1935)
Alice Adams (1935)
Break of Hearts (1935)
The Little Minister (1934)
Spitfire (1934)
Little Women (1933)
Morning Glory (1933)
Christopher Strong (1933)
A Bill of Divorcement (1932)
Early Directors on Directing
Ratings
Gallery
Information
Known ForActing
GenderFemale
Birthday1907-05-12
Deathday2003-06-29 (96 years old)
Birth NameKatharine Houghton Hepburn
Birth PlaceHartford, United States
Religionatheism
Height170-centimeter
RelationshipsLudlow Ogden Smith (1928-12-12 - 1934-01-01), Spencer Tracy (1941-01-01 - 1967-01-01)
FatherThomas Norval Hepburn
MotherKatharine Martha Houghton Hepburn
RelativesKatharine Houghton
CitizenshipsUnited States
Also Known AsКэтрин Хепберн, Katherine Hepburn, 캐서린 헵번, Kate Hepburn, Katie Hepburn, Кэтрин Хепбёрн
AwardsLadies' Home Journal Women of the Year, CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award, star on Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year, Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame, Volpi Cup for Best Actress, Kennedy Center Honors, Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress, BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, Emmy Award, Screen Actors Guild Award, Academy Award for Best Actress, David di Donatello
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