Audrey Hepburnis aHollywoodicon, but also one of the most loved and lovable stars of all time. Her glamour, stature, and talent are incomparable to this day, and she’s often the synonym for great style.She had an interesting life:she was an avid humanitarian, classical ballet dancer, and a multilingual talent; however, she’s most famous for her movies to wider audiences. Despite a couple of well-known roles, Hepburn’s acting career consists of many features, out of which some are seemingly forgotten or overlooked.
WhileHepburn’s most famous movies includeBreakfast at Tiffany’s,Sabrina,My Fair Lady, andRoman Holiday, her devoted fans know she was in a lot more, and had immense acting talent. Though the listed movies are great– and she’s great in them– anyone who loves and wants to watch more of Audrey Hepburn should be introduced to her more underrated performances. Her fans often claim she hasone of the best filmographiesof any actor out there.
10’Paris When It Sizzles' (1964)
Directed by Richard Quine
Though not very well received byRotten Tomatoes' critics,Paris When It Sizzlesdelivers a classic Audrey Hepburn role. The movie combines romance and comedy, spoofing Hollywood and its moviemaking business.Alongside William Holden, Hepburn thrills asa woman who can see beneath the surface and challenge a person to reach their full potential.Paris When It Sizzlesfollows screenwriter Richard (Holden) procrastinating on a screenplay he was hired for. Two days before the deadline, his assistant Gabrielle (Hepburn) realizes he hadn’t written anything.
Richard and Gabrielle begin writing the script together, enacting some possible scenes and ideas for it. During this time, a romance awakens between them, but Richard remains insecure, while Gabrielle continues to believe in him. She helps him get over his fears and loosen his emotional brakes;she is encouraging and cheerful, and no one better than Audrey Hepburn could have stepped into this role. She also delivers exceptional comedy skills, which isn’t the first time, though it was a bit rare.
Paris When It Sizzles
9’Robin and Marian' (1976)
Directed by Richard Lester
What do Robin Hood and his beloved Marian do in their spare time? After the events when they meet and fall in love young, their lives continue, in their own directions and as a pair. InRobin and Marian, the story followsRobin Hood and Marian as older versions of the original story of the Sherwood Forest hero.Sean Conneryand Audrey Hepburn step into the titular roles of honorable adults that have stood the test of time and found love in each other again. In a way, it’s a testament to true love– though fictionally devised– and an homage to aging heroes who are still the same great people.
Audrey Hepburn plays Marian, who is now in charge of a community of nuns in an abbey. When Robin returns for her, it’s clear they’re still madly in love, despite Robin’s crusades taking him further away from her. Hepburn dazzles in her role, especially in scenes with Sean Connery, where their chemistry is apparent. In the final moments ofRobin and Marian, Marian delivers an incredibly moving speech about how much she loves Robin, withAudrey Hepburn embracing her devotion and adoration, hypnotizing the viewersand making them wish they could be loved like that.
Robin and Marian
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8’Funny Face' (1957)
Directed by Stanley Donen
Though not totally underrated,Funny Facehides in the shadow ofMy Fair Ladyvery often.Audrey Hepburn’s first musical saw her take advantage of the talents she garnered as a young girl, when she trained in classical ballet. InFunny Face,she joins Fred Astairein a romantic comedy where she plays bookstore keeper and philosophy enthusiast Jo Stockton; Astaire plays Dick Avery, a fashion photographer who takes a few photos of Jo in her bookstore and realizes her potential for modeling.
Jo doesn’t like fashion nor its concepts. She prefers to be cerebral and empowers herself through philosophy and books. Dick tries to win her over for photos, and love starts to grow between them.Funny Facewas somewhat based on theGeorge and Ira Gershwin’s Broadway musical of the same name, which also starred Fred Astaire.Hepburn gracefully takes on numerous dance styles and shows off a sweet and silky singing voice. However, her biggest advantage inFunny Faceis the fact that Joe doesn’t succumb to pressure, but stays herself the entire time– much like Hepburn has during her career.
Funny Face
7’Love in the Afternoon' (1957)
Directed by Billy Wilder
Love In the Afternoonis a stylish romance starring Audrey Hepburn, this time directed byBilly Wilder. Wilder’s greatest movies were most notably romantic comedies, but he’s one of the few directors whomanaged to tackle multiple film genresduring his career. Still, in keeping with his greatest hits,Love In the Afternoonis another example of Wilder’s great mind and Audrey Hepburn’s ethereal charm. The movie follows Ariane Chavasse (Hepburn), a young cello player and daughter of a private detective who falls for a man he follows,Frank Flannagan (Gary Cooper).
Ariane is an inexperienced romantic, in her 20s and eager to find love. Frank Flannagan is an older man, a womanizer, and the object of one of her father’s newest investigations. When Ariane sees Flannagan as an appealing challenge, she suddenly enters his lifeand their relationship develops into a blossoming romance. Audrey Hepburn is really the protagonist and the best part ofLove In the Afternoon.She’s delicate, with a brilliant knack for comedy and subtle humor, and elevates every scene she’s in. Sadly, this isn’t the first or the last movie whereshe was paired with a significantly older actor– today, this dynamic may be offputting to some viewers, but her talent makes the movie worthwhile.
Love in the Afternoon
6’The Children’s Hour' (1961)
Directed by William Wyler
William Wyler’sThe Children’s Hourwas controversial for its time, though it proved to be more socially relevant as said time went on. Audrey Hepburn sure was ahead of her time when it came to choosing the right roles. It’s an underrated Wyler and Hepburn collaboration, which also starsShirley MacLaine, followingtwo teachers accused of being more than just friends by one of their all-girls-school students, Mary. Since Mary is from a wealthy family, her accusations can’t be reprimanded as easily; the movie cleverly and emotionally deals with homophobia, prejudice, and repressed emotions.
The Children’s Hourfollows Karen (Audrey Hepburn) and Martha (Shirley MacLaine), two private school teachers and longtime friends. Karen is engaged to Joe Cardin (James Garner), who can’t handle the rumor that her and Martha may be more than just friends. Mary, who spread the rumor, didn’t want to get caught in a lie, so she doubled down on it, making matters even worse. Though a lie in Karen’s eyes, Martha begins to feel intense guilt because of the rumor, looking more and more distressed about its legitimacy.Audrey Hepburn delivers a compassionate and understated role, and Shirley MacLaine takes the spotlight as Martha in several scenes, while their chemistry is brilliant and sincere.
The Children’s Hour
A private all-girls boarding school becomes embroiled in controversy when a mischievous student spreads a rumor about an inappropriate relationship between the two women who run the institution. This accusation leads to turmoil, testing personal relationships and societal norms within the community.
Stanley Donen and Audrey Hepburnreunited again to makeone of Hepburn’s best movies,Two For the Road. This drama blends comedy and romance, but most of all, it questions the quality and dedication of a long-term relationship. This movie is the first time Audrey Hepburn wasn’t dressed in Givenchy, and portrays a housewife and mother. This could be whyTwo For the Road’s initial impressions were weak and unimpressed. Today, this movie isone of thebest portrayals of a long-term relationshipand its ups and downs.
Two For the Roadfollows Joanna (Hepburn) andher husband Mark (Albert Finney)on a road trip to France. Since they have taken that road many times before, they reminisce about their relationship and its progress each time they have ended up on that very road.The couple’s relationship is shown through four flashbacks spanning the past 12 years: when they first met and moments when they had their first challenges. With the couple considering whether their relationship can suffer any more downs, their trip becomes a dissection of love, devotion, and how the two perceive themselves in their emotional bond. Audrey Hepburn leads the way, taking center stage with each scene, but also giving Finney enough space to shine.
Two for the Road
4’Charade' (1963)
Another Stanley Donen and Audrey Hepburn collaboration,Charade, is also probably the least underrated movie she’s made. Though all of Audrey Hepburn’s fans recommend this movie,wider audiences may be unfamiliar withCharade, a comedy mystery where she stars alongsideCary Grant.Many critics callCharade"the best Hitchcock movie that Hitchcock never made," but it could also compare to aJames Bondflick, as it combines espionage with a murder mystery and professional thieves. The biggest advantage ofCharadeis Audrey Hepburn, though her chemistry with Cary Grant is undeniable, and the plot itself is charmingly convoluted but well-executed.
Charadefollows Regina, aka Reggie (Hepburn), wife of estranged Charles. Charles dies soon after; she decides to divorce him, and Reggie realizes some suspicious men were after him while he was alive.Helping Reggie get to the bottom of her husband’s affairs is the charming Peter(Grant), whom she meets at a resort in the French Alps. Peter is mysterious, but Reggie still falls for him, and they end up making a great team. Cary Grant returns to his best edition as a caper thriller star, something he got used towith frequent collaborator Alfred Hitchcock.
Charade is a 1963 romantic comedy thriller directed by Stanley Donen, starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. The story follows a young woman whose life takes an unexpected turn when she becomes entangled in a web of deceit and danger after her husband’s death. With the help of a mysterious stranger, she navigates a series of twists and turns in pursuit of the truth.
3’How to Steal a Million' (1966)
William Wyler’sheist comedyHow to Steal a Millionis almost the polar opposite of his previous collaboration with Hepburn onThe Children’s Hour, and evenRoman Holiday. This time,Wyler put Hepburn in the role of the daughter of a Paris-based art collector, Nicole; she stars oppositePeter O’Tooleas Simon, an art thief. Nicole’s father, Charles, is a collector, but most of his work is fake; he only wants to keep appearances with his enviable collection of art. However, Charles loans a Venus statue to a museum, which is targeted by several buyers.
Nicole and Simon join forces to steal back the fraudulent Venus before it’s detected and Charles' integrity is questioned. During their mission, the two thieves fall in love, of course.Nicole is clever, resourceful, and thinks on her feet, while Simon is crafty and has great ideas. Their sensibilities match, and though both deceive each other initially, a great love story comes out of their fateful encounter.How to Steal a Millionis surely one of the most underrated movies from the 1960s, which Audrey Hepburn deserves more recognition for.
How to Steal a Million
2’The Nun’s Story' (1959)
Directed by Fred Zinnemann
The one movie that most critics consider Audrey Hepburn’s best work isThe Nun’s StorybyFred Zinnemann. He based the movie onKathryn Hulme’s novel of the same name from 1956, whichHulme wrote inspired by the Belgian nun Marie Louise Habets.The Nun’s Storyis considered one of the best book adaptations ever made because it was so closely related and faithful to the original story. Audrey Hepburn was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar and the movie received seven other nominations, including Best Picture.
The Nun’s Storyshows Gabrielle Van Der Mal (Hepburn), a Belgian woman who enters a convent in the hopes of serving in Congo as a nurse.When she begins her nun training, she’s often reprimanded for being prideful and disobedient, which is something she struggles with the most during training. When she ends up in the Congo, she befriends a doctor there, and begins to question herself and her motives. She is forced to face her choices and make peace with the idea that some of her wishes don’t need to come true; Audrey Hepburn embraces the role of a woman going through an emotional, mental and physical transformation, and audiences see her in this edition for the first time.
The Nun’s Story
1’Wait Until Dark' (1967)
Directed by Terence Young
No one would expect to see Audrey Hepburn as a scream queen,but she stepped into the shoes of one of the heavilyunderrated psychological thrillers,Wait Until Dark. Many people aren’t even aware of this movie as a Hepburn feature because they’re so used to seeing her in preppy, sweet, and charming roles.Wait Until Darkmarks another of her brilliant movie roles as well as Terence Young’s ability to direct an intense thriller (that scared even James Cameron). Alongside Audrey Hepburn isAlan Arkin, who portrays a ruthless and eerie-looking killer.
Wait Until Darkopens with a woman carrying drugs in a bag at the airport. When she wants to avoid detection, she puts the bag in the possession of a photographer, Sam Hendrix (Efrem Zimbalist Jr.), who takes it home to his blind wife, Susy (Hepburn). The people who are after the bag are all menacing-looking criminals, butwhen they realize Susy can’t see, they start toying with her to get her to reveal where the drugs are. This sets off a tense cat-and-mouse chase, though Susy is resourceful, smart, and catches on pretty quickly. This movie was incredibly popular upon its release, with some of the most intense jumpscares of all time, earning Hepburn a nomination for the Best Actress Oscar.
Wait Until Dark
A recently blinded woman is terrorized by a trio of thugs while they search for a heroin-stuffed doll they believe is in her apartment.
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