History Creator / KatharineHepburn

* [[PrefersGoingBarefoot Penchant for going barefoot or wearing sandals]] offscreen, even for formal occasions:

* Penchant for [[DoesNotLikeShoes going barefoot or wearing sandals]] offscreen, even for formal occasions:

-->--'''Katharine Hepburn''', asked to define "star quality"

Creator/CateBlanchett won the 2004 Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Hepburn in the Creator/MartinScorsese's Howard Hughes biopic ''Film/TheAviator'', making Hepburn the only Oscar winner to be played by someone who would win an Oscar for the role.

* ''Film/TheLionInWinter'' (1968), as Eleanor of Aquitaine. The third of her UsefulNotes/AcademyAward-winning roles. Shared the Oscar with Creator/BarbraStreisand for ''Theatre/FunnyGirl'', after the vote ended in a tie. This was only the second time that a tie was declared in an acting category, and the first time ever that an EXACT tie occurred (in the Academy's earliest years, all one had to do was earn within 3 votes of 1st place to tie, which allowed Creator/WallaceBeery and Creator/FredricMarch to share the Best Actor statue of 1932).
** She's ''descended'' from Eleanor, both through Eleanor's marriage to the King of France (Louis VI) and Eleanor's later marriage to the King of England (Henry II).

** And this was long before it was widely common or acceptable for women to do so... legend has it that one studio tried to force her to wear skirts by confiscating all of her slacks while she was out of her trailer. She responded by walking around the set in her underwear until she embarrassed the studio into giving them back.

** Her official biography by Charlotte Chandler says that she always enjoyed walking barefoot, and for her first major role of Pandora in the play ''The Woman in the Moon'', she insisted that her heroine should not wear shoes.
** When she had to put on footwear, she preferred informal sandals, even wearing them for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0NLHXcH0fY her]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bqx3tHXq4g TV interviews]].
** In [[https://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/15/arts/hepburn-i-had-a-corner-on-the-rich-arrogant-girl.html yet another interview]], she said this was the reason why she didn't like skirts: with skirts, you have to wear stockings, and with pants, you can always go barefoot.
* Being tart and abrasive, which led some of her Hollywood detractors to nickname her "Katharine of Arrogance." During the filming of ''Film/SuddenlyLastSummer'', she was so disgusted with how director Creator/JosephLMankiewicz treated another actor that she ''[[SpitefulSpit spat right in his face]]'' when filming was over. And Hepburn herself was notorious for belittling and criticizing actors who didn't measure up to her standards. She once tore into Creator/RobertMitchum for doing an unflattering yet accurate impression of her, telling him he had no talent and only got by on his looks. His response? He just shrugged as if to say "Whatever".

She's not related to Creator/AudreyHepburn, who was from across the pond.
%%They were actually close friends; Katharine nicknamed Audrey "my little daughter".

Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was, according to the Creator/AmericanFilmInstitute, [[AFIS100Years100Stars the greatest female star ever to grace American cinema]].

** In real life, Hepburn was one, and proud. She stated in her autobiography that she probably got it from her parents, who were both passionate and strong people, and encouraged their children to follow their dreams, no matter the doubters.

Her [[StarMakingRole first real success]] was in the 1933 release of ''Little Women'', playing Jo March; Hepburn broke box office records as the feisty, red-haired heroine. Before ''Little Women'' was ever released, however, she had already won her first Oscar. She wouldn't win her next for over thirty years, but when she did, she went an unheard-of three for three on her last three nominations, nominated (and winning) in 1967, 1968 (one of only two actress to win back-to-back), and 1981.

Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was, according to the Creator/AmericanFilmInstitute, [[AFIS100Years100Stars the greatest actress ever to grace American cinema]].

Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was, according to the Creator/AmericanFilmInstitute, [[AFIS100Years100Stars the greatest female actor ever to grace American cinema]].

Her [[StarMakingRole first real success]] was in the 1933 release of ''Little Women'', playing Jo March; Hepburn broke box office records as the feisty, red-haired heroine. Before ''Little Women'' was ever released, however, she had already won her first Oscar. She wouldn't win her next for over thirty years, but when she did, she went an unheard-of three for three on her last three nominations, nominated (and winning) in 1967, 1968 (one of only two female actors to win back-to-back), and 1981.

Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was, according to the Creator/AmericanFilmInstitute, [[AFIS100Years100Stars the greatest female star ever to grace American cinema]].

Her [[StarMakingRole first real success]] was in the 1933 release of ''Little Women'', playing Jo March; Hepburn broke box office records as the feisty, red-haired heroine. Before ''Little Women'' was ever released, however, she had already won her first Oscar. She wouldn't win her next for over thirty years, but when she did, she went an unheard-of three for three on her last three nominations, nominated (and winning) in 1967, 1968 (one of only two actresses to win back-to-back), and 1981.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/katharine_hepburn.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:She's not "outdoorsy", she's athletic.]]

* Being tart and abrasive, which led some of her Hollywood detractors to nickname her "Katharine of Arrogance." During the filming of ''Film/SuddenlyLastSummer'', she was so disgusted with how the director treated another actor that she ''spat right in his face'' when filming was over - and Hepburn herself was notorious for belittling and criticizing actors who didn't measure up to her standards. She once tore into Creator/RobertMitchum for doing an unflattering yet accurate impression of her, telling him he had no talent and only got by on his looks. His response? He just shrugged as if to say ''Whatever''.

[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/katharine_hepburn.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:280:She's not "outdoorsy", she's athletic.]]

* ''On Golden Pond'' (1981), as Ethel Thayer, opposite Creator/HenryFonda. Her fourth and last UsefulNotes/AcademyAward-winning part.

She's not related to Creator/AudreyHepburn, who was from across the pond. They were actually close friends; Katharine nicknamed Audrey "my little daughter".

Her [[StarMakingRole first real success]] was in the 1933 release of ''Literature/LittleWomen'', playing Jo March; Hepburn broke box office records as the feisty, red-haired heroine. Before ''Little Women'' was ever released, however, she had already won her first Oscar. She wouldn't win her next for over thirty years, but when she did, she went an unheard-of three for three on her last three nominations, nominated (and winning) in 1967, 1968 (one of only two actresses to win back-to-back), and 1981.

* ''LIterature/LittleWomen'' (1933), as Jo March

* WholesomeCrossdresser: Her clothing style definitely invoked this, as it was before it was widely accepted for women to wear trousers. When she was young, she also cropped her hair very short and asked people to call her "Jimmy" - this, and other elements of her life and personality, [[https://www.advocate.com/politics/commentary/2006/11/20/katharine-hepburn-leading-man?pg=full have caused some biographers to believe that she may have been transgender in some way]].

No, she's not related to Creator/AudreyHepburn, who was from across the pond. [[note]]They were, in fact, close friends in real life; Katharine nicknamed her "my little daughter".[[/note]]