Katharine Hepburn
Born: 1907-05-12 in Hartford, Connecticut, USA
Died: 2003-06-29
Known For: Acting
Biography
Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress of film, stage, and television. A recipient of a record four Academy Awards and an Emmy Award, she was ranked as the greatest female star in the history of American cinema by the American Film Institute. She was best known for her sophisticated, headstrong and outspoken screen persona that she cultivated through roles in a variety of film genres — from screwball comedies to literary dramas. Apart from her acclaimed acting and distinctive voice, her impact extended to fashion as well as she helped make wearing pants more socially acceptable for women. Throughout her six-decade career, Hepburn's work in stage, film, and television brought her much acclaim — including twelve Academy Award nominations, six Emmy Award nominations, eight Golden Globe Award nominations, and two Tony Award nominations. She co-starred with screen legends like Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, John Wayne, Laurence Olivier and Henry Fonda and performed in plays written and directed by notable playwrights and directors. Her most successful film pairing was with Spencer Tracy, with whom she made multiple hit pictures. The last of their 9 films together was Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), which was completed shortly before Tracy's death. Her many performances on the stage included plays by Shakespeare and Shaw, and a Broadway musical. She passed away from cardiac arrest on 29 June 2003 at her family home in Connecticut and since then, has been honored with several memorials.
Filmography
2025
- True Blue as (Archive Footage)
2023
- Call Me Kate as Self (archive footage)
2021
- Hannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony as Self (archive footage)
2019
- Yellowface: Asian Whitewashing and Racism in Hollywood as (archive footage)
2018
- Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood as Self (archive footage)
2017
- Becoming Cary Grant as Self (archive footage)
- In Search of Tracy Lord as Self (archive footage)
2014
- Katharine Hepburn: The Great Kate as Self - Interviewee (archive footage)
2010
- Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff as Self (archive footage)
- Embracing Chaos: Making The African Queen as Self / Rose Sayer (archive footage)
2009
- Early Directors on Directing as Self
2004
- Broadway's Lost Treasures II as Coco Chanel (segment "Coco")
- Cary Grant: A Class Apart as Self (archive footage)
2003
- Complicated Women as Self (archive footage)
- Cole Porter in Hollywood: True Love as Self (Archive Footage)
1997
- Bogart: The Untold Story as Self (archive footage)
- Hidden Hollywood: Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Film Vaults as Self (Archival Footage)
1996
- The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story as Self (voice) (uncredited)
- Katharine Hepburn: On Her Own Terms as Self
1995
1994
- Love Affair as Ginny
- That's Entertainment! III as (archive footage)
- Tennessee Williams: Orpheus of the American Stage as Mrs. Venable (archive footage)
- This Can't Be Love as Marion Bennett
- One Christmas as Cornelia Beaumont
1993
- Intimate Portrait as Self
- Katharine Hepburn: All About Me as Self
- Roots of Roe as Katharine Houghton-Hepburn (voice)
1992
- Fonda on Fonda as Self (voice)
- The Man Upstairs as Victoria Brown
1990
- Night of 100 Stars III as Self
1989
1988
- The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind as Self (archive footage)
- Cary Grant: A Celebration of a Leading Man as Self (archive footage)
- Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues as Self
- Bacall on Bogart as Self
- Laura Lansing Slept Here as Laura Lansing
1987
- The RKO Story: Tales From Hollywood as Self
- James Stewart: A Wonderful Life as Self
- Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywood as Self
1986
- The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn as Self – Host
- Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry as Margaret Delafield
1985
- George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey as Self
- Grace Quigley as Grace Quigley
1981
- On Golden Pond as Ethel Thayer
1979
- The Corn Is Green as Miss Lilly Moffat
1978
- The Kennedy Center Honors as Self
- Olly Olly Oxen Free as Miss Pudd
1976
- That's Entertainment, Part II as (archive footage)
- Love Among the Ruins as Jessica Medlicott
1975
- Rooster Cogburn as Eula Goodnight
- Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? as Self (archive footage)
1974
- Spécial cinéma as Self
- That's Entertainment! as (archive footage) (uncredited)
1973
- The Glass Menagerie as Amanda Wingfield
- A Delicate Balance as Agnes
1972
- Hollywood: The Dream Factory as Self (archive footage)
1971
- Great Performances as Self
- Directed by John Ford as Self
- The Trojan Women as Hecuba
1969
- The Madwoman of Chaillot as Contessa Aurelia
1968
- The Dick Cavett Show as Self - Guest
- The Lion in Winter as Eleanor of Aquitaine
1967
- Guess Who's Coming to Dinner as Christina Drayton
1965
- aspekte as Self
1964
- The Big Parade of Comedy as Tracy Lord (archive footage)
1962
- Long Day's Journey Into Night as Mary Tyrone
1961
- The Mike Douglas Show as Self - Taped Tribute
- Hollywood: The Selznick Years as Self (voice) (uncredited)
1959
- Suddenly, Last Summer as Violet Venable
1957
- Desk Set as Bunny Watson
1956
- Tony Awards as Self - Nominee / Performer
- The Rainmaker as Lizzie Curry
- The Iron Petticoat as Captain Vinka Kovalenko
1955
- MGM Parade
- Summertime as Jane Hudson
1953
- The Oscars as Self
1952
- The African Queen as Rose Sayer
- Pat and Mike as Patricia "Pat" Pemberton
1950
- The Costume Designer as Self (archive footage)
1949
- Adam's Rib as Amanda Bonner
1948
- State of the Union as Mary Matthews
1947
- The Sea of Grass as Lutie Cameron Brewton
- Song of Love as Clara Wieck Schumann
1946
- Undercurrent as Ann Hamilton
1945
- Without Love as Jamie Rowan
1944
- Dragon Seed as Jade Tan
- Twenty Years After as (archive footage)
1943
- Keeper of the Flame as Christine Forrest
- Stage Door Canteen as Katharine Hepburn
1942
- Woman of the Year as Tess Harding
1941
- Women in Defense as Narrator (voice)
1940
- The Philadelphia Story as Tracy Lord
- A New Romance of Celluloid: The Miracle of Sound as Self
- Cavalcade of the Academy Awards as Self (archive footage)
1938
- Bringing Up Baby as Susan Vance
- Holiday as Linda Seton
1937
- Quality Street as Phoebe Throssel
- Stage Door as Terry Randall
1936
- Mary of Scotland as Mary Stuart
- A Woman Rebels as Pamela 'Pam' Thistlewaite
1935
- Sylvia Scarlett as Sylvia Scarlett
- Alice Adams as Alice Adams
- Break of Hearts as Constance Dane Roberti
1934
- The Little Minister as Barbara 'Babbie'
- Spitfire as Trigger Hicks
1933
- Little Women as Jo
- Morning Glory as Eva Lovelace
- Christopher Strong as Lady Cynthia Darrington
1932
- A Bill of Divorcement as Sydney Fairfield