SHE is one of the most famous Hollywood icons of all time.
Demure, elegant and with an unrivalled on-screen charm, the enduring appeal of
Audrey Hepburn has never wavered.
But to her two sons, she was simply a mother — and they had no idea just how
successful she was until thousands of people turned out for her funeral
service.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the star’s death, yet she is still as
iconic as ever.
Over the years, many celebrities have recreated her famous pose from the movie
Breakfast At Tiffany’s including Kelly Brook and Sun columnist Lorraine
Kelly.
And now Audrey’s image is on screen again in the latest Galaxy chocolate
advert.
But just what is it about the elfin actress that captures the hearts of so
many?
Audrey’s youngest son, Luca Dotti, 43, believes it is a mix of everything,
from her style to her movies.
He says: “I have asked myself the question several times, ‘What made her
unique?’ ”
“It might seem like a simple answer but her appeal comes from everything she
did — at home, her career, the way she dressed, the way she spoke, her
dedication to the charity Unicef…
“It was her choices in life and the way she saw the world. She was a rounded
person and sincere.”
To film fans across the world, Audrey’s cropped fringe, doe eyes, chic attire
and enigmatic smile are instantly recognisable.
Thanks to movies including My Fair Lady and Roman Holiday, she became a
celebrity who captured an era — and a global style icon.
But the modest beauty rarely mentioned her high-flying film career success to
her children.
Sean Hepburn Ferrer — Audrey’s son from her first marriage to US actor Mel
Ferrer — says: “We were not a ‘Hollywood family’. Not in the place or the
state of mind.
“I grew up in a farmhouse in Switzerland so I discovered her films on a 16mm
projector in the attic.
“When I was in my early teens, I pulled out those old movies and watched them
on a sheet with that wonderful flickering sound and light.
“It was magical to discover those films that way.
“She never sat us down to watch her films — that wasn’t her at all.”
Growing up, the boys regarded their mother’s friends as just that, even
though they were among the most famous people on the planet.
Luca — Audrey’s son by her second marriage to Italian psychiatrist Andrea
Dotti — says: “Any actors who came round were known by their first names,
not their surnames.
“It was only later that I realised ‘Julie’ was Julie Andrews.
“When I was about eight years old, Julie came to dinner and we both discovered
we could whistle through a gap in our teeth.”
Dad-of-three Luca, a graphic designer, says he had a “good relationship” with
Audrey.
“She was a lovely mother,” he says. “She wasn’t massively strict but she had a
big charisma.
“She could make you understand if you were wrong or right with just a look.
She wasn’t the kind of mother to chase you around the house.”
And while Audrey’s name is known across the world, 52-year-old Sean admits to
having no idea just how popular his mother was until she died of appendiceal
cancer on January 20, 1993, aged 63.
Sean, a dad of three, says: “We didn’t truly grasp to what extent she had
touched the public until she passed away.
“Then, the streets of our little 600-inhabitant village filled up with 25,000
people. A week later, I went to the attic where I had watched her films and
saw bags filled with letters, books, advice, prayers and even origami, which
had been sent to us from all around the world.
“We printed a card with a picture of my mother and sent that to a few thousand
people.
“We were only sorry we could not reply to them all.”
Audrey’s simple yet chic style has remained a huge part of how we view her
today.
And Sean explains that when it came to clothes, his mother knew exactly what
worked for her.
“Her dear friend and designer Hubert de Givenchy would often speak about how
incensed he would get with her,” he says. “She would choose pieces off the
runway then proceed to remove everything that wasn’t firmly attached to the
dress.
“It drove him crazy but he said, ‘Do you know what? She was always right in
the end’.
“In film, the simple, clean lines worked best. She found a look that worked
for her, and stayed with it for a lifetime.”
In the new 1950s-themed Galaxy advert — which can be viewed online at
galaxychocolate.co.uk — two Audrey Hepburn lookalikes bring the star’s image
to life again.
The trained ballet dancers studied Belgian-born Audrey’s movies to mimic her
expressions and gestures.
But although the star has always been seen as a beauty icon, Sean reveals that
his mother was never completely happy with her looks.
He says: “Like every normal, nice person, she didn’t look in the mirror and
say, ‘Gee, I look so good!’
“She saw herself as too thin, she thought she had crooked teeth… she saw her
shortcomings so she was profoundly thankful for the chances she had.”
When asked if any modern film star comes close to having his mother’s allure,
Sean says it would be impossible to find a replacement — but Black Swan star
Natalie Portman is the closest.
“She is extraordinary in her own right but she has some of the same
qualities,” he explains. “I have known Natalie since she was 12 years old
and she has always had this unassuming nature — completely natural and down
to earth.
“She’s made wise and wonderful decisions in balancing her education, career
and family life. In those ways, she’s most like my mother.”
Audrey’s sons are very careful when it comes to using the Hepburn brand to
endorse products.
And in the case of Galaxy, both have different reasons for agreeing to the
chocolate promotion.
For Sean, it was his own personal recollection of shopping for candy with his
mother — who was a big fan of Mars bars.
But Luca was inspired by Audrey’s teenage years in Nazi-occupied Holland
during the Second World War. He says: “The first piece of real food she was
given by the liberation army was chocolate.
“That stayed in her DNA in a way. To her, it was the taste of freedom.
“I remember one quote from her years later, which I found quite amusing. She
said, ‘I’m behaving myself now — a chocolate box will last at least 15
minutes’. ”
After being educated in England, Audrey relocated to her mother’s home
country, Holland, in 1939.
The family had hoped that as a neutral state, it would be spared a German
attack but this was not to be. During the war, Audrey’s older brother was
sent to a labour camp and her uncle and cousin were both executed. Luca
believes that these experiences helped to drive her — particularly when it
came to her work as a Goodwill Ambassador for Unicef.
He says: “When the war ended, she was just a few weeks from death because she
was so malnourished. Her work for Unicef wasn’t just something she did — she
wanted to close the circle.
“She always said that seeing so many desperate situations put everything into
perspective.”
Since Audrey’s death, her sons have carried on her good work through the
Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund, which raised £23million last year.
toSean says: “If she had another five minutes on this planet, she would talk
about the children, so Luca and I have continued on that path.
“I don’t think either of us were born humanitarians but thanks to her, it
felt like the right thing to do to continue that legacy.”
Chocs away for Audrey’s new ad
THE new Galaxy advert sees “Audrey Hepburn” sitting on a crowded bus in the
romantic setting of Italy’s Amalfi Coast in the 1950s.
She has a twinkle in her eye because she’s looking forward to eating her
chocolate bar, tucked away in her handbag.
When a car pulls up alongside the bus, she catches the handsome driver’s eye.
Audrey then jumps off the bus and into the back seat to savour her tasty
treat. The Hollywood star is brought to life by two lookalikes and cutting
edge post-production CGI techniques.
The ad also features Moon River – the Oscar-winning song that was first
performed in the 1961 hit, Breakfast At Tiffany’s.
Audrey’s sons, Sean and Luca, said: “Our mother often spoke about her love of
chocolate and how it lifted her spirits so we’re sure she would have been
proud to be the face of Galaxy.”
The star’s iconic style in Breakfast At Tiffany’s has been copied by millions
of women around the world, including several famous faces.