15 years without Katharine Hepburn: her life and career

15 years without Katharine Hepburn: Her life and career - Katharine Hepburn epitomized the fast-changing culture of the 20th-century in more ways than one. From wearing pants and short hair, to her attitude and choice to remain childless and unmarried, she defied societal norms in all forms. She died 15 years ago, leaving behind a world she helped shape. Check out these amazing photos of this beautiful, fierce, and eternal actress.

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Early life - Hepburn was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on May 12, 1907.

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Early life - She was one of six children raised by a doctor and a feminist campaigner.

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Greatest star - She is considered by many to be the greatest actress in American cinema.

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Greatest star - Hepburn is known for her fierce independence and spirited personality.

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Versatility - A versatile actress, she starred in a range of genres from screwball comedy to literary drama.

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Record breaker - Hepburn is the only actress to have won four Academy Awards for Best Actress.

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A unique set of features - Hepburn is noteworthy for combining timeless beauty, wit, and fiery passion.

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Passion for acting - As a child, she would charge US$0.50 to put on plays and perform for her neighbors with friends and siblings.

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Young activist - She raised the money for the Navajo people.

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Education - She began to act while a student at Bryn Mawr College, a women's liberal arts college.

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Upbringing - Both parents fought for social change in the US.

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Upbringing: Father - By helping establish the New England Social Hygiene Association, Thomas Hepburn promoted education about venereal disease.

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Upbringing: Mother - The elder Katharine was the head of the Connecticut Woman Suffrage Association, and later campaigned for birth control alongside Margaret Sanger.

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Unconventional - Hepburn was unconventional and progressive. She wore pants when it was still frowned upon and long before it was fashionable.

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Outspoken - She was outspoken, assertive, and athletic.

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Sports - Hepburn was interested in sports and played from a young age.

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Sports - She particularly enjoyed swimming, tennis, and golf.

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Unconventional - At age nine, she shaved her hair.

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Katharine Hepburn - She also decided that she wanted to be called "Jimmy," according to Vanity Fair.

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"Jimmy" - According to the same Vanity Fair article, Hepburn stated that Jimmy embodied a role she liked to play.

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Alter ego - She said: "I created Jimmy for the others. Inside I never felt like Jimmy."

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Work on Broadway - In 1932, she made several appearances on Broadway for which she was making about US$1,500 a week, a considerable amount for the time.

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Hollywood - Her performances quickly caught the attention of Hollywood.

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Fruitful career - Hepburn's career spanned six decades, which earned her the nickname "First Lady of Cinema."

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Debut - She had her screen debut in the hit 'A Bill of Divorcement' (1932).

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1930s - Her early career includes movies like 'Little Women' (1933), 'Alice Adams' (1935), 'Sylvia Scarlett' (1935), 'Stage Door' (1937), 'Holiday' (1938), and 'Bringing Up Baby' (1938).

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Setbacks - Despite her initial success, Hepburn also starred in a series of unpopular films.

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"Box office poison" - That resulted in her being added to a list of actors considered "box office poison" after the release of 'Bringing up Baby' (1938), according to Legacy.

28 / 61 Fotos

Starting over - Determined to reignite her career, Hepburn left Hollywood in search of a stage project.

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Comeback - She landed a role in Philip Barry's new play, 'The Philadelphia Story,' which quickly became a success.

30 / 61 Fotos

Cameback - She bought the rights to the play and later sold it to MGM, Hollywood's number one studio.

31 / 61 Fotos

On her own terms - She sold the rights on the condition that she'd be the star. Hepburn was back for good.

32 / 61 Fotos

1940s - In the 1940s, she starred in popular films, including 'The Philadelphia Story' (1940).

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1940s - Other films included 'Woman of the Year' (1942), 'State of the Union' (1948), and 'Adam's Rib' (1949).

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1950s - Into the following decade, she starred in 'The African Queen' (1951), 'Pat and Mike' (1952), 'Summertime' (1955), and 'The Rainmaker' (1956).

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1960s - Throughout the decade, she starred in films such as 'Long Day's Journey into Night' (1962), 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' (1967), and 'The Lion in Winter' (1968).

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Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy - Tracy, who costarred opposite to her in nine films, became her longtime companion.

37 / 61 Fotos

Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy - The two managed to hide their 26-year affair from the public.

38 / 61 Fotos

First Oscar - Her first Oscar came early on in her career.

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First Oscar - She won Best Actress for 'Morning Glory' (1933).

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Oscar hiatus - She wouldn't win another one for 34 years.

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Consecutive Oscars - Then she won two back-to-back.

42 / 61 Fotos

Consecutive Oscars - She won Best Actress for 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' (1967) and 'The Lion in Winter' (1968).

43 / 61 Fotos

Fourth Oscar - She waited another 13 years to win her fourth Oscar.

44 / 61 Fotos

Fourth Oscar - She won Best Actress for 'On Golden Pond' (1981).

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Late career: 1970s - In the 1970s, she starred in 'The Trojan Women' (1971), and 'Rooster Cogburn' (1975).

46 / 61 Fotos

Late career: 1980s - In the 1980s, she starred in 'On Golden Pond' (1981).

47 / 61 Fotos

Final film - Hepburn's final film role was in 'Love Affair' (1994) at age 87.

48 / 61 Fotos

Musical - From December 1969 to August 1970, she starred in the Broadway musical 'Coco' based on Coco Chanel's life.

49 / 61 Fotos

Tony - Her work earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.

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Modern woman - Through her unconventional lifestyle and the fierce characters she portrayed, Hepburn became the image of the modern American woman of the 20th century.

51 / 61 Fotos

Autobiography - In 1991, Hepburn released her autobiography titled 'Me: Stories of My Life.'

52 / 61 Fotos

Autobiography - Her autobiography went on to become a best seller for over a year.

53 / 61 Fotos

TV - In 1973, she tried starring in a TV show for the first time.

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TV - She starred in a production of Tennessee Williams's 'The Glass Menagerie' with great success.

55 / 61 Fotos

Emmy Award - She went on to star in the TV film 'Love Among the Ruins' (1975), which earned her an Emmy Award.

56 / 61 Fotos

Greatest female star - In 1999, the American Film Institute named Hepburn as the greatest female star of Classic Hollywood Cinema.

57 / 61 Fotos

Oil paintings - Hepburn also enjoyed painting and produced works that were auctioned in 2004.

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Death - She died on June 29, 2003, at her family home in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. She was 96.

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No funeral service - As per her request, Hepburn was buried with no memorial service.

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0 / 61 Fotos

Early life - Hepburn was born in Hartford, Connecticut, on May 12, 1907.

1 / 61 Fotos

Early life - She was one of six children raised by a doctor and a feminist campaigner.

2 / 61 Fotos

Greatest star - She is considered by many to be the greatest actress in American cinema.

3 / 61 Fotos

Greatest star - Hepburn is known for her fierce independence and spirited personality.

4 / 61 Fotos

Versatility - A versatile actress, she starred in a range of genres from screwball comedy to literary drama.

5 / 61 Fotos

Record breaker - Hepburn is the only actress to have won four Academy Awards for Best Actress.

6 / 61 Fotos

A unique set of features - Hepburn is noteworthy for combining timeless beauty, wit, and fiery passion.

7 / 61 Fotos

Passion for acting - As a child, she would charge US$0.50 to put on plays and perform for her neighbors with friends and siblings.

8 / 61 Fotos

Young activist - She raised the money for the Navajo people.

9 / 61 Fotos

Education - She began to act while a student at Bryn Mawr College, a women's liberal arts college.

10 / 61 Fotos

Upbringing - Both parents fought for social change in the US.

11 / 61 Fotos

Upbringing: Father - By helping establish the New England Social Hygiene Association, Thomas Hepburn promoted education about venereal disease.

12 / 61 Fotos

Upbringing: Mother - The elder Katharine was the head of the Connecticut Woman Suffrage Association, and later campaigned for birth control alongside Margaret Sanger.

13 / 61 Fotos

Unconventional - Hepburn was unconventional and progressive. She wore pants when it was still frowned upon and long before it was fashionable.

14 / 61 Fotos

Outspoken - She was outspoken, assertive, and athletic.

15 / 61 Fotos

Sports - Hepburn was interested in sports and played from a young age.

16 / 61 Fotos

Sports - She particularly enjoyed swimming, tennis, and golf.

17 / 61 Fotos

Unconventional - At age nine, she shaved her hair.

18 / 61 Fotos

Katharine Hepburn - She also decided that she wanted to be called "Jimmy," according to Vanity Fair.

19 / 61 Fotos

"Jimmy" - According to the same Vanity Fair article, Hepburn stated that Jimmy embodied a role she liked to play.

20 / 61 Fotos

Alter ego - She said: "I created Jimmy for the others. Inside I never felt like Jimmy."

21 / 61 Fotos

Work on Broadway - In 1932, she made several appearances on Broadway for which she was making about US$1,500 a week, a considerable amount for the time.

22 / 61 Fotos

Hollywood - Her performances quickly caught the attention of Hollywood.

23 / 61 Fotos

Fruitful career - Hepburn's career spanned six decades, which earned her the nickname "First Lady of Cinema."

24 / 61 Fotos

Debut - She had her screen debut in the hit 'A Bill of Divorcement' (1932).

25 / 61 Fotos

1930s - Her early career includes movies like 'Little Women' (1933), 'Alice Adams' (1935), 'Sylvia Scarlett' (1935), 'Stage Door' (1937), 'Holiday' (1938), and 'Bringing Up Baby' (1938).

26 / 61 Fotos

Setbacks - Despite her initial success, Hepburn also starred in a series of unpopular films.

27 / 61 Fotos

"Box office poison" - That resulted in her being added to a list of actors considered "box office poison" after the release of 'Bringing up Baby' (1938), according to Legacy.

28 / 61 Fotos

Starting over - Determined to reignite her career, Hepburn left Hollywood in search of a stage project.

29 / 61 Fotos

Comeback - She landed a role in Philip Barry's new play, 'The Philadelphia Story,' which quickly became a success.

30 / 61 Fotos

Cameback - She bought the rights to the play and later sold it to MGM, Hollywood's number one studio.

31 / 61 Fotos

On her own terms - She sold the rights on the condition that she'd be the star. Hepburn was back for good.

32 / 61 Fotos

1940s - In the 1940s, she starred in popular films, including 'The Philadelphia Story' (1940).

33 / 61 Fotos

1940s - Other films included 'Woman of the Year' (1942), 'State of the Union' (1948), and 'Adam's Rib' (1949).

34 / 61 Fotos

1950s - Into the following decade, she starred in 'The African Queen' (1951), 'Pat and Mike' (1952), 'Summertime' (1955), and 'The Rainmaker' (1956).

35 / 61 Fotos

1960s - Throughout the decade, she starred in films such as 'Long Day's Journey into Night' (1962), 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' (1967), and 'The Lion in Winter' (1968).

36 / 61 Fotos

Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy - Tracy, who costarred opposite to her in nine films, became her longtime companion.

37 / 61 Fotos

Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy - The two managed to hide their 26-year affair from the public.

38 / 61 Fotos

First Oscar - Her first Oscar came early on in her career.

39 / 61 Fotos

First Oscar - She won Best Actress for 'Morning Glory' (1933).

40 / 61 Fotos

Oscar hiatus - She wouldn't win another one for 34 years.

41 / 61 Fotos

Consecutive Oscars - Then she won two back-to-back.

42 / 61 Fotos

Consecutive Oscars - She won Best Actress for 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' (1967) and 'The Lion in Winter' (1968).

43 / 61 Fotos

Fourth Oscar - She waited another 13 years to win her fourth Oscar.

44 / 61 Fotos

Fourth Oscar - She won Best Actress for 'On Golden Pond' (1981).

45 / 61 Fotos

Late career: 1970s - In the 1970s, she starred in 'The Trojan Women' (1971), and 'Rooster Cogburn' (1975).

46 / 61 Fotos

Late career: 1980s - In the 1980s, she starred in 'On Golden Pond' (1981).

47 / 61 Fotos

Final film - Hepburn's final film role was in 'Love Affair' (1994) at age 87.

48 / 61 Fotos

Musical - From December 1969 to August 1970, she starred in the Broadway musical 'Coco' based on Coco Chanel's life.

49 / 61 Fotos

Tony - Her work earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical.

50 / 61 Fotos

Modern woman - Through her unconventional lifestyle and the fierce characters she portrayed, Hepburn became the image of the modern American woman of the 20th century.

51 / 61 Fotos

Autobiography - In 1991, Hepburn released her autobiography titled 'Me: Stories of My Life.'

52 / 61 Fotos

Autobiography - Her autobiography went on to become a best seller for over a year.

53 / 61 Fotos

TV - In 1973, she tried starring in a TV show for the first time.

54 / 61 Fotos

TV - She starred in a production of Tennessee Williams's 'The Glass Menagerie' with great success.

55 / 61 Fotos

Emmy Award - She went on to star in the TV film 'Love Among the Ruins' (1975), which earned her an Emmy Award.

56 / 61 Fotos

Greatest female star - In 1999, the American Film Institute named Hepburn as the greatest female star of Classic Hollywood Cinema.

57 / 61 Fotos

Oil paintings - Hepburn also enjoyed painting and produced works that were auctioned in 2004.

58 / 61 Fotos

Death - She died on June 29, 2003, at her family home in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. She was 96.

59 / 61 Fotos

No funeral service - As per her request, Hepburn was buried with no memorial service.

60 / 61 Fotos

15 years without Katharine Hepburn: her life and career

In honor of the actress's 15th anniversary of her death

26/06/18 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Katharine hepburn

Hepburn, one of the best actresses in Hollywood history, epitomized the modern woman. She challenged societal norms in all forms, from her clothes, to her attitude, and choice to remain childless and unmarried. Beautiful, fierce, and fearless, she embodied American culture like few have been able to do, before or since. The great actress and role model died 15 years ago on June 29, leaving behind a culture she helped shape.

Click through the gallery to check out her life and career in photos.