Overview
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.
