Most iconic screen legend: Audrey Hepburn or Marilyn Monroe? | The Tylt (2024)

FAQs

What makes Audrey Hepburn iconic? ›

Audrey Hepburn's impact extended beyond her film career and fashion choices. Her dedication to philanthropy and her timeless elegance made her a beloved figure, transcending generations.

Marilyn Monroe in The Seven Year Itch in 1955

Everyone remembers the moment when Monroe's dress blew up over the subway grate in The Seven Year Itch. The plunging halter piece became a huge part of the actress's legacy.

As a Hollywood and pop culture icon, transcending generations and history, Marilyn Monroe remains one of the most recognisable women of the twentieth century. Born Norma Jean Mortenson, she started her career as a model shortly after the Second World War before signing a contract with 20th Century Fox in 1946.

From her childhood activism to her role as UNICEF Ambassador, Hepburn was a true hunger hero. She worked tirelessly on behalf of the millions around the world — especially children — who needed a helping hand and a voice.

My answer is that she truly had it all: a unique yet extraordinary beauty, charm, brains, talent, luck, compassion and character. Born Audrey Kathleen Ruston in 1929 in Brussels, Belgium, Audrey had a knack for languages (she was fluent in English, Dutch, French, Spanish and Italian) and a natural aptitude for dance.

Audrey Hepburn was a Belgian-born British actress and humanitarian. She is best known for her roles in films such as Roman Holiday (1953), Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), and My Fair Lady (1964). Hepburn devoted the final years of her life to humanitarian work.

Famous for playing comedic "blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s and was emblematic of the era's sexual revolution. She was a top-billed actress for only a decade, but her films grossed $200 million by the time of her death in 1962.

You probably already know that this famous photo of the glamorous Marilyn Monroe was taken while filming The Seven Year Itch. However, there is more to the story than that, including why she faced the photographer and posed the way she did.

In 1955 Monroe appeared in the Billy Wilder–directed comedy The Seven Year Itch, in which she becomes the object of her married neighbor's sexual fantasies. In it, Monroe stands on a subway grate with the air blowing up the skirt of her white dress; it became the most famous scene of her career.

Jean Harlow, Marilyn Monroe's idol, was Hollywood's original blonde bombshell before tragic demise: book.

Is Marilyn Monroe the face of Hollywood? ›

Still widely admired and the source of inspiration for many celebrities today, her likeness endlessly reproduced, Marilyn remains the face of contemporary fame.

"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone."

It was the soulful amalgamation of her pleasing personality and her straightforward fashion sense which made her the unique style icon that she is considered to be. Her wardrobe staples included timeless and classic pieces that have found many copy cats and followers.

Beyond her one-of-a-kind acting skills and screen presence, Hepburn was also remarkable for her golden heart, living by a life philosophy that always put others first.

Audrey gained immediate prominence in the US with her role in Roman Holiday (1953). This film turned out to be a smashing success, and she won an Oscar as Best Actress. On September 25, 1954, she married actor Mel Ferrer. She also starred in Sabrina (1954), for which she received another Academy Award nomination.

The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it's all that matters.

Audrey Hepburn was not just a pretty face, she had a beautiful heart. She overcame various obstacles in her life, and helped others along her journey. In addition to her story, here are some quotes to inspire and motivate you to chase those dreams. (I need to read them today too. )