I recently watched the Netflix documentary, Audrey: More Than an Icon about Audrey Hepburn from 2020. Here are my thoughts on Audrey’s legacy and the impact she has on today’s society.
I looked up to Audrey Hepburn as a teenager when I found out about her through portraits. Audrey has so much to love: her elegance, style, talent, and her grace. The thing that struck me most though, was when I realized that Audrey Hepburn was more than the above. She was a woman of incredible values, a giving heart, and an activist who has done extensive humanitarian work.
Most people know Audrey as an actress and a fashion model. This was my initial impression of her as well. But very few people know about Audrey the humanitarian. From 1988 to early her death in 1993, Audrey was a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. UNICEF is the United Nations Children’s Fund, and they are a global organization that works with disadvantaged children and adolescents.
Audrey Hepburn was born in 1929 in Belgium and lived through the German Occupation. Due to her upbringing, she knew all too well about child hunger. She would perform a ballet to raise money for provisions for her family. Not only that, but Audrey was secretly raising money for the Dutch resistance against the nazis.
Audrey became an actress and her most famous role was Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Beyond acting, Audrey was multitalented as a dancer and fashion icon. She spoke multiple languages including English, Germain, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, and French. Audrey’s entertainment career lasted until the end of the 1960s when she became a mother and dedicated herself to her family.
After stepping out of the spotlight to raise her two children, Audrey led a quiet life. However, once her children grew up, she did incredible work starting in Ethiopia where famine was rampant. Inspired by this trip and her love of children and a heart for outreach, Audrey made a series of trips around the world to help people in numerous countries.
I saw mothers and their children who had walked for ten days, even three weeks, looking for food, settling onto the desert floor into makeshift camps where they may die. Horrible. That image is too much for me. The ‘Third World’ is a term I don’t like very much, because we’re all one world. I want people to know that the largest part of humanity is suffering.
Audrey on her outreach work
It’s clear that Audrey understood her fame, wealth, and notoriety. She wanted to use that public recognition to raise global awareness of child poverty. At the end of her acting career, Audrey used her wealth and resources to travel around the world and help others.
Audrey Hepburn made over 50 trips to over 20 different countries visiting UNICEF projects to help hungry children.
Audrey worked with families who needed clean water, food, and medical care such as disease prevention, medicine, and vaccinations. She truly made an impact and raised awareness of issues such as hunger and lack of health care. She appeared on most major news outlets which inspired the general public, due to her large fan base.
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When I was 18 and first found out about Audrey Hepburn, I had never heard about her outreach work. I had to read books in the library and search online to find anything about her work with UNICEF. Yet the charity work she did was extensive and lasted well over a decade. The fact that a woman is known for the way she looks during her youth rather than the impact has on the world makes me despondent. That is why I’m so thankful for this documentary.
More Than an Icon featured Audrey Hepburn’s granddaughter Emma. It’s clear that Audrey’s family was dejected by the fact that Audrey is mostly portrayed as a model. But the truth is, Audrey’s entertainment career only lasted a small portion of her life. It’s obvious that if Audrey didn’t pass away so young at 63, she would have continued her humanitarian work for as long as she could. I also believe it’s obvious that Audrey herself just wanted to make an impact.
Don’t you dare Photoshop my wrinkles out. I’ve earned every single one of them.
Audrey’s warning to American Photo magazine before the photo’s publication
It wasn’t until recently that awareness of her outreach work became apparent. I believe it’s so important for Audrey to be known for not only her many talents but the extensive humanitarian work she did. Audrey helped form an underground resistance against nazis and she saved so many lives, yet she’s primarily known as being “pretty.”
Many women share Audrey’s sentiment: we want to be heard and seen for who we are. And we want to make an impact.
Society places emphasis on women’s looks rather than what we do. But I believe most of us want to be known for our positive influence on others, and our talents, just like Audrey. Women want our values to be known, and we want to inspire change.