entertainment
My mother, Audrey Hepburn: the star’s son Sean on her movies, marriages, good works and fascist parents
The heroine of Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffany’s knew war and poverty, riches and fame, love and betrayal – yet claimed to have lived a ‘terribly boring’ life. Sean Hepburn Ferrer paints a very different picture in his new biography
TL;DR
- Sean Hepburn Ferrer has written a new book, "Intimate Audrey," about his mother, Audrey Hepburn.
- The book focuses on her "behind the scenes" life, family dinners, and normal childhood, moving away from the focus on ballgowns and fame.
- Ferrer describes his mother's priorities as normal, emphasizing the importance of family despite her global fame.
- He realized the extent of her fame during her funeral, which drew a crowd of 25,000 people to a small village.
- His new book is a full biography, intended to "close the chapter" after a previous "spiritual biography."
- Preserving Audrey Hepburn's legacy involves managing funds for charity and protecting her image from exploitation.
- Ferrer likens managing his mother's legacy to curating a giant art exhibition and advises other stars' children on the extensive work involved.
- He identifies three categories for Audrey's lasting stardom: the freshness and naturalness of her performances, her personal style (including Givenchy designs), and her humanitarian work as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador.
- The book begins with Audrey's final UNICEF mission in Somalia and flashes back to her childhood experiences of wartime and starvation in the Netherlands during Nazi occupation.
- Audrey Hepburn's parents were early supporters of fascism, a detail Sean notes she never reconciled.
- After the war, she pursued dancing and acting, achieving stardom with "Roman Holiday" and winning an Oscar at 24.
- Hepburn achieved EGOT status and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her charitable work.
- Her son's favorite films include "Funny Face" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's."
- Sean believes "My Fair Lady" reflects his mother's own story of overcoming hardship from war.
- He credits her "European polish and sensibility" and her choice to live outside Hollywood for staying in touch with everyday life.
- Audrey retired from moviemaking in the late 1960s to focus on her family, having two sons, Sean and Luca, from two marriages.
- Sean is open about the failings of the men in her life, particularly the infidelity of her second husband, Andrea Dotti.
- He aims to present his mother as a real person with depth, not just a legend, by sharing these more grounded aspects of her life.