Katharine Hepburn (1907–2003)

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Katharine Hepburn was born on May 12, 1907 in Hartford, Connecticut to a suffragist and a doctor who both always encouraged her to speak her mind, develop it fully, and exercise her body to its full potential. An athletic tomboy as a child, she was very close to her brother Tom; at 14 she was devastated to find him dead, the apparent result of ... See full bio »

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Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Fri, Jun 03 4:09 PM PDT on RETRO (622)
The Philadelphia Story
Fri, Jun 03 10:20 PM PDT on KCET (003)

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Won 4 Oscars. Another 24 wins & 37 nominations. See more awards »

Photos

1059 photos | 35 videos »

Known For

The Lion in Winter
The Lion in Winter Eleanor of Aquitaine
(1968)
The Philadelphia Story
The Philadelphia Story Tracy Samantha Lord
(1940)
The African Queen
The African Queen Rose Sayer
(1951)
On Golden Pond
On Golden Pond Ethel Thayer
(1981)
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Filmography

Hide Hide Show Show Actress (53 credits)
 1994 One Christmas (TV Movie)
Cornelia Beaumont
 1994 Love Affair
Ginny
 1994 This Can't Be Love (TV Movie)
Marion Bennett
 1993 The Roots of Roe (TV Movie documentary)
Katharine Houghton-Hepburn (voice)
 1992 The Man Upstairs (TV Movie)
Victoria Brown
 1988 Laura Lansing Slept Here (TV Movie)
Laura Lansing
 1986 Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry (TV Movie)
Margaret Delafield
 1984 Grace Quigley
Grace Quigley
 1981 On Golden Pond
Ethel Thayer
 1979 The Corn Is Green (TV Movie)
Miss Lilly Moffat
 1978 Olly, Olly, Oxen Free
Miss Pudd
 1975 Rooster Cogburn
Eula
 1975 Love Among the Ruins (TV Movie)
Jessica Medlicott
 1973 The Glass Menagerie (TV Movie)
Amanda Wingfield
 1973 A Delicate Balance
Agnes
 1971 The Trojan Women
Hecuba
 1969 The Madwoman of Chaillot
Countess Aurelia - the Madwoman of Chaillot
 1968 The Lion in Winter
Eleanor of Aquitaine
 1967 Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Christina Drayton
 1962 Long Day's Journey Into Night
Mary Tyrone
 1959 Suddenly, Last Summer
Mrs. Venable
 1957 Desk Set
Bunny Watson
 1956 The Rainmaker
Lizzie Curry
 1956 The Iron Petticoat
Captain Vinka Kovalenko
 1955 Summertime
Jane Hudson
 1952 Pat and Mike
Pat Pemberton
 1951 The African Queen
Rose Sayer
 1949 Adam's Rib
Amanda Bonner
 1948 State of the Union
Mary Matthews
 1947 Song of Love
Clara Wieck Schumann
 1947 The Sea of Grass
Lutie Cameron Brewton
 1946 Undercurrent
Ann Hamilton
 1945 Without Love
Jamie Rowan
 1944 Dragon Seed
Jade Tan
 1943 Stage Door Canteen
Katharine Hepburn
 1942 Keeper of the Flame
Christine Forrest
 1942 Woman of the Year
Tess Harding
 1940 The Philadelphia Story
Tracy Samantha Lord
 1938 Holiday
Linda Seton
 1938 Bringing Up Baby
Susan Vance
 1937 Stage Door
Terry Randall
 1937 Quality Street
Phoebe Throssel
 1936 A Woman Rebels
Pamela Thistlewaite
 1936 Mary of Scotland
Mary Stuart
 1935 Sylvia Scarlett
Sylvia Scarlett a.k.a. Sylvester
 1935 Alice Adams
Alice Adams
 1935 Break of Hearts
Constance Dane Roberti
 1934 The Little Minister
Babbie
 1934 Spitfire
Trigger Hicks
 1933 Little Women
Jo March
 1933 Morning Glory
Eva Lovelace
 1933 Christopher Strong
Lady Cynthia Darrington
 1932 A Bill of Divorcement
Sidney
Show Show Writer (1 credit)
Show Show Soundtrack (11 credits)
Show Show Thanks (2 credits)
Show Show Self (42 credits)
Show Show Archive footage (87 credits)

Related Videos

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Personal Details

Other Works:

Stage: Appeared (as "Stella Surrege") in "The Lake" on Broadway. Drama. Written by Andrew Massingham and Murray Macdonald. Scenic Design by Jo Mielziner. Produced and directed by Jed Harris. Martin Beck Theatre: 26 Dec 1933-Feb 1934 (closing date unknown/55 performances). Cast: Wendy Atkin, Blanche Bates (as "Lena Surrege") [final ... See more »

Publicity Listings:

6 Biographical Movies | 23 Print Biographies | 19 Portrayals | 1 Interview | 31 Articles | 2 Pictorials | 80 Magazine Cover Photos | See more »

Height:

5' 7½" (1.72 m)

Spouse:

Ludlow Ogden Smith  (divorced)

Children:

None

Parents:

Houghton Hepburn, Katharine Martha | Hepburn, Thomas

Relatives:

Katharine Houghton (niece or nephew)
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Did You Know?

Personal Quote:

[on good parts] If it interests you, they don't have to pay you. It's a fascinating business anyway--it's very nice to be paid--but when you do *thrilling* material, it's like buying a piece of furniture that's really good. When you buy it, and it's great, you get *enormous* pleasure out of seeing it, and you never remember how much it cost. See more »

Trivia:

Was with Spencer Tracy the night he died. According to her, he had gotten up in the middle of the night to get a glass of milk. She followed the sickly Tracy to the kitchen but before she got there she heard a glass shatter and then a loud thud. She found Tracy dead on the floor; he had suffered a massive heart attack. See more »

Trademark:

Her recognizable angular features See more »

Nickname:

First Lady of Cinema See more »
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