She was a confident, independent woman who was able to hold her own in a room full of men; and very opinionated, even in a time period that oppressed woman & most importantly THEIR thoughts. Katherine has set the bar for todays independant woman.
She broke the fashion boundaries of her day & is still constantly recognized for doing so. She is not only an idol for strong woman, but her fashion sense in undeniably chic, sophisticated & strong!
Her unique persona captured the public's imagination & her characters reflected a new kind of woman. Katherine was a successful and innovative businesswoman who took charge of her own career at a time when most actors were contractually restricted by the studios. She bought out her own contract so she would have creative control over her career & was able to avoid doing lesser projects.
Background & Career:
Katherine was born on May 12, 1907, (A taurus just like me! =) No wonder we have so many similar traits) in Hartford, Connecticut. Both of her parents were social activists who deeply influenced her, they encouraged their children to develop mind and body, work hard, shoulder responsibility, treasure family, and keep going, no matter what. Her father, Dr. Thomas Norval Hepburn, a distinguished urologist/surgeon at Hartford Hospital, was a pioneer in the use of contraceptives to fight venereal disease. Her mother, Katharine Houghton (Kit) Hepburn, was a Boston socialite who worked to promote birth control/family planning, African-Americans’ civil rights and votes for women. The Hepburn house was a meeting ground for famous social reformers, such as Emmeline Pankhurst, Margaret Sanger, and George Bernard Shaw. She attended Bryn Mawr College, Kate took a speech course and acted in a few plays, graduating in 1928 with a degree in history & philosophy. After graduating, she began getting small roles in plays on Broadway and elsewhere. She always attracted attention in these parts, especially for her role in "Art and Mrs. Bottle" (1931); then, she finally broke into stardom when she took the starring role of the Amazon princess Antiope in "A Warrior's Husband" (1932).Katherine Hepburn went on to hold the all time record for the most Oscars won by an actor (4) and the second-most nominations (12), and yes, her 52-film/33-play career spanned seven decades. Ranked the #1 actress of the century by the American Film Institute and chosen Best Classic Actress of the 20th Century by Entertainment Weekly, Hepburn won an Emmy, three Best Actress BAFTAs, Best Actress at Cannes and Venice and two People’s Choice Awards — among many others. In 1986 the Council of Fashion Designers of America honoured her and her nonchalant style with a lifetime achievement award in recognition of her role as a non-conformist in the world of modern fashion, and she has been referenced by designers consistently for years.
Spencer Tracy & Katherine Hepburn:
Hepburn & Tracy had never met until hepburn requested Spencer Tracy to star opposite her in Woman Of The Year (1942). The electricity between Tracy and Hepburn was immediately obvious to moviegoers.“She was the feisty female to Tracy’s all-American male,” wrote Hollywood Reporter film critic Kirk Honeycutt. “In their best films together, she played the high-class dame brought low by this earthy fellow.” The pair started a relationship that included nine films and a 24-year love affair. For five years during the 1960s, Kate devoted full time to caring for the ailing Tracy, who died in 1967 shortly after completing Guess Who's Coming To Dinner (which earned Hepburn her second Oscar).
