Lesser-known Audrey Hepburn films you need to watch now
You may know Audrey Hepburn for her role as the enigmatic socialite Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s —the photo of a dressed up Audrey gazing into Tiffany’s with a coffee in hand is endlessly iconic, after all. The beloved actress is known for being a style icon as well as a humanitarian, but her filmography and career go beyond just Breakfast at Tiffany’s and her signature bold brows and bangs. Some of her lesser-known works are simply dazzling, showing off the marvelous talent and brilliance that is Audrey.
Here are five Audrey-tastic films you definitely need to watch (like right now):
Two for the Road (1967)
Audrey stars alongside Albert Finney in this heart-wrenching film. It follows the ten-year marriage of Mark and Joanna Wallace, telling the story of how they fell in and out of love through a series of road trips. The chronology jumps around, so the audience shares the nostalgia both characters express for their days on the road from the very beginning. Bonus: Mr. Feeney (aka, William Daniels) is also part of the cast!
How to Steal a Million (1966)
Audrey + Peter O’Toole + Art theft. Do I even need to go on? The movie, set in Paris, revolves around a plot hatched by Nicole Bonnet (Hepburn) and Simon Dermott (O’Toole) to steal a famed statue that just happens to be a forgery created by Nicole’s father. It’s a madcap love story held together by a gentleman heist cooked up by Hepburn —what’s not to love?
The Children’s Hour (1961)
Co-starring Shirley MacLaine and James Garner, this film has Audrey taking a more serious role as the co-founder of a girls’ school who finds herself accused of having a lesbian relationship with MacLaine. While a lawsuit for libel is in the works, children are pulled out of the school and the women’s personal lives are deeply impacted by the rumor, started by one of their students. Watching this movie now (less than 50 years after this was released), it’s almost shocking to see how two fictitious women’s lives could be under such homophobic scrutiny.
Love in the Afternoon (1957)
One of Audrey’s earlier starring roles, she plays the daughter of a detective who falls in love with one of her father’s clients. The plot is your typical womanizing-older-man-meets-innocent-younger-woman tale of love, but iconic fimmaker Billy Wilder carries it off with fresh wit, charm and an omnipresent orchestra ready to help woo the ladies. Co-starring Gary Cooper and Maurice Chevalier, it’s a classic romp, but with clever twists.
Paris When It Sizzles (1964)
Starring as the love interest and assistant to William Holden’s struggling writer, Audrey plays numerous roles in this outrageous film that blurs reality and fiction. In order to cure her boss’ writer’s block, Hepburn helps act out some potential plots, including horror stories, thrillers and heists. With Paris as a backdrop, the film is hilarious, enjoyable and ends with romance.
