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Katharine Hepburn: Biography

katharine hepburn
  • Birth Name: Katharine Houghton Hepburn
  • Birth Place: Hartford, CT
  • Date of Birth / Zodiac Sign: 05/12/1907, Taurus
  • Date of Death: 06/29/2003
  • Profession: Actor
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Katharine Hepburn Fast Facts:
  • Taking a cue from her activist parents, who were a strong and persistent influence, she supported women's voting and reproductive rights.
  • Starred in nine films with longtime companion Spencer Tracy.
  • Out of respect for his family, chose not to attend Tracy's funeral in 1967, opting instead to assist in lifting his casket into the hearse at the funeral home; refrained from speaking of their personal relationship until after the death of his wife in 1983.
  • Composer Stephen Sondheim was a neighbor in the Turtle Bay section of Manhattan where she owned a brownstone for over 50 years.  
  • Published her first book, The Making of The African Queen, in 1987; a few years later, she reportedly received $4.5 million for her biography Me: Stories of My Life.
  • Council of Fashion Designers gave her a lifetime achievement award in 1986, due in large part to her ground-breaking preference for trousers early in her career.
  • With 12 nominations and four wins, held the record for most Academy Award nominations for acting until Meryl Streep surpassed her in 2003.
  • Spent the last years of her life at the family home in the Fenwick section of Old Saybrook, CT, that served as a retreat throughout her life.
  • Had a cultural-arts center, which also includes a museum dedicated to her life, named after her in Old Saybrook in 2009. 
  • Was honored with a commemorative stamp by the U.S. Postal Service in 2010.
  • Katharine Hepburn Relationships:
  • Leland Hayward - Ex-significant Other
  • Margaret Hepburn Perry - Sister
  • Ludlow Ogden Smith - Ex-husband
  • Howard Hughes - Ex-significant Other
  • Katharine Houghton - Niece
  • Richard Hepburn - Brother
  • Thomas Norval Hepburn - Father
  • Marianne Hepburn Grant - Sister
  • Spencer Tracy - Ex-significant Other
  • Tom Hepburn - Brother
  • Katharine Houghton Hepburn - Mother
  • Robert Hepburn - Brother
  • Katharine Hepburn Awards:
  • 1933 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Winner
  • 1935 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
  • 1940 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
  • 1942 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
  • 1951 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
  • 1955 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
  • 1956 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
  • 1959 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
  • 1962 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Nominee
  • 1967 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Winner
  • 1968 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Winner
  • 1981 Oscar: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Winner
  • 1970 Tony: Actress (Musical) - Nominee
  • 1982 Tony: Actress (Play) - Nominee
  • 1986 Emmy: Outstanding Informational Special - Nominee
  • 1983 People's Choice Awards: Favorite Motion Picture Actress - Winner
  • 1976 People's Choice Awards: Favorite Motion Picture Actress - Winner
  • 1953 Golden Globe: Actress in a Leading Role - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
  • 1952 BAFTA Awards: Best Foreign Actress - Nominee
  • 1955 BAFTA Awards: Best Foreign Actress - Nominee
  • 1957 BAFTA Awards: Best Foreign Actress - Nominee
  • 1968 BAFTA Awards: Best Actress - Winner
  • 1982 BAFTA Awards: Best Actress - Winner
  • 1993 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - Nominee
  • 1957 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
  • 1994 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries - Nominee
  • 1979 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Life Achievement Award - Winner
  • 1960 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
  • 1963 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
  • 1968 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
  • 1969 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
  • 1982 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama - Nominee
  • 1974 Emmy: Best Lead Actress in Drama - Nominee
  • 1993 Emmy: Outstanding Informational Special - Nominee
  • 1979 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Special - Nominee
  • 1986 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Special - Nominee
  • 1975 Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actress in a Special Program - Drama or Comedy - Winner
  • 1953 Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - Nominee
  • College:
  • Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA (BA in Drama, 1928)
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