How to Be Like Audrey Hepburn

Audrey, as seen in "Roman Holiday".

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By Audrey M Brown
eHow Community Member

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(8 Ratings)

I was named after this truly unique actress. I've studied her my whole life, as have so many other "Audrey" enthusiasts. What set her apart in her day, continues to be in stark contrast with what it means to be a celebrity today. You can be like her, in all the best ways, and in many ways that you have never thought of before that are beyond the obvious!

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

You don't "need" anything but yourself to emulate her best qualities...but of course, a little black dress never hurts.

Step 1

Audrey's singing voice was dubbed in, "My Fair Lady", which she didn't know until the film's premiere. But she didn't act like a diva, even though it hurt her feelings! Something to think about...

Live with Dignity. She was never impolite in public or rude to anyone she worked with, and I'm convinced that had she lived in the age of blogging, she never would've complained via the internet. So treat yourself well and with great dignity, you deserve this anyway. Even when faced with huge dissapointments, she was never cruel to other people and she didn't behave like a diva! She had self-control.
Step 2

Examine the way Audrey Hepburn contrasts with the way many actresses and characters are seen today on t.v. and in film. Ask yourself what's different? Examine the female characters that you get to see today, and compare them to Audrey's characters.
Step 3

Speak well. This may sound like some kind of outdated tip from a 1950's charm school...but speaking well, like Audrey did, can make you appear highly intelligent. It can even help your self-esteem. This is one way in which Audrey stood out, even in her own time. It's one of the things that people remember about her most, her voice and the way she spoke!
Step 4

Audrey, quite unconventionally, always tried to be in control of her wardrobes for film. Even when she didn't get credit, she chose the clothes that looked best on her, even if they were off-season.

Think "classic" when it comes to trends. Audrey was never one to follow the trends, fashion or otherwise. She dressed very classic, took the most timeless acting jobs, and seemed to always have things in perspective for the future. So the next time you think about wearing whatever is "in", ask yourself if that is really "you" and what will you think when you look at a picture of yourself wearing that in 10 years?
Step 5

Take care of yourself. There is a great debate about whether or not Audrey had an eating disorder...do not follow in these particular footsteps should they be true. In most other areas...you never saw Audrey in a tabloid rumored to be doing drugs, or out at nightclubs driving or drinking herself to exhaustion. REAL legends take care of themselves so that they can have long full lives and do everything they want to do within that lifetime!
Step 6

Hepburn's "Holly Golightly" from,"Breakfast At Tiffany's" was a smoker, ran away from her problems, and was easily conned. Be like Audrey, not Holly!

Emulate Audrey, not her characters. Learn about the woman herself, read some biographies. Watch her films and admire her acting, don't role play her characters...they were often more fragile and dysfunctional than her real life ever was!
Step 7

Let loose! For all this class and dignity business, it's important to have fun and be yourself. Audrey was often criticized for her physical appearance and was called, "too skinny", was told her feet were too big, her teeth were too crooked, and on and on. She rolled with the punches and didn't shrink away from the spotlight, even under all that criticism!
Step 8

Be passionate. Audrey couldn't have made it as far as she did in the movie industry if she didn't LOVE what she was doing. So find what you love to do, work hard, and go DO IT!
Step 9

Hepburn "resting" in "Roman Holiday".

Know when to take a break. Audrey often retreated to her home during times of stress or fatigue...especially later in her life when she made more time for herself. So continuing with the thought of taking care of yourself, make time for REST, cheesy as that may sound.
Step 10

Last, NEVER be afraid to be different. Audrey was popular during the same time as starlets like Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell...it was a time when the bombshell RULED the screen. And yet we still remember her today. So be yourself and go for it, there's plenty of room in the world for all types of women to succeed. Imagine if she had wasted her time trying to be like Marilyn Monroe? Just be you!

Comments

NickyV said

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on 10/12/2008 Ha ha, good article. My Girlfriend loves Audrey.

Fashionista9 said

on 10/10/2008 Excellent Article! Audrey Hepburn has always been epitomized as one of fashion's iconic celebrities.

I love how you made it a point to not copy Audrey exactly but to emulate the essence of her.

Reading this article you learn a lot about the type of person she was. Never one to be disrespectful amongst her peers or in the public's eyes. She had dignity and grace and timelessness.