Audrey Hepburn comments
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Nearvana — 15 years ago(December 20, 2010 05:10 PM)
agreed, janowitz, emma nails smug, self-deprecating, or even passive aggressive to a T in nearly every role, but when she strays it does come off as extremely awkward. & not that i am a raging hepburn fan, but hepburn had PRESENCE. emma lacks it. perhaps emma feels slight resentment that ms. hepburn did not have to work incredibly hard to be adored due to her natural beauty, while emma herself is rather homely.
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Prom_Queen_Carrie — 15 years ago(August 08, 2010 03:20 PM)
I get that that's her opinion, and I too believe Hepburn's success and iconography had more to do with her beauty, style, screen presence, and charisma than acting talent. Still, I was a bit surprised by Emma here. To me it just seems like she was defensive about the fact that many people would say, "how could you remake an Audrey Hepburn film?", so she thought the way to deal with it would be to tear her down. I'm sure she really doesn't think much of her acting talent, but to blast her in the press seems a bit much.
"I'm f'ing busy-or vice versa" -Dorothy Parker -
paulgraygras72 — 15 years ago(August 09, 2010 03:18 AM)
I admire her honesty and also agree with all she said. Hepburn was undeniably a star and fun to watch in SOME roles but she wasnt an actress as such in as much as she played herself all the time and her little cute girl act throughout her career was off putting. The fact she didnt even do her own singing in MY FAIR LADY was a scandal, the role should have went to Julie Andrews, the same gos for Deborah Kerr in THE KING AND I, I never saw the point of employing someone for a singing role and then getting their singing dubbed by someone else.
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alvinkuo — 15 years ago(August 09, 2010 11:09 AM)
For all those who are commenting on Audrey's commenting abilities, please watch her lesser known films such as The Nun's Story, Wait until Dark, the Children's Hour, and perhaps Charade/How to Steal a Million. Then pass the judgement.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -
mmitsos-1 — 15 years ago(August 13, 2010 09:25 PM)
I've seen every film you mentioned and more of Audrey Hepburn's. As I said, she was charming to watch, but clearly, she really was not that good of an actress. It's a fact. And if you read Emma's comments (and I wish I heard the tone she used), it really wasn't as scandalous a thing to say. Yes, the woman is dead, and can't defend herselfbut she died 17 years ago, and Emma is an actress critiquing another actress. What is this "rule" that you can't say anything bad about a person who died? She didn't say that she was a mean person..she just said that she didn't act well. And, if you re-read what she said, I think she is talking SPECIFICALLY about her performance in My Fair Lady. If you take her one sentence out of context, it may seem as if she was broadly sweeping her whole career. But actually, I don't think that she's even seen many of her other filmsso she was just basing her opinion of her on that one role, which was, in all honesty, an awful portrayal. The whole film was bad, and her performance WAS awfulI don't care how charming she is or how big her eyes are.
But Jesus, as one of the earlier posters here said, people get all wrapped up in what one actor says about another's craft, but politicians bash each other ALL THE TIME, and they get elected anyway. I think it's rather refreshing that an actor tells it like it is about the talent of another. I wish someone would come out and say that Julia Roberts sucks big time, as well as Bruce Willis, and a slew of other big-name, no-talent overpaid, LOUSY "celebrity" actors. -
meowbark_9899 — 15 years ago(August 09, 2010 10:18 PM)
Just wanted to point this outAudrey actually did extensive training in order to sing for the part of Eliza. It was the director's decision to use Marni Nixon's voice instead. Also, Audrey does sing the first verse of 'Just You Wait, Henry Higgins' as well as the last 30 seconds of the song and the repriseit's when the song goes into the soprano range that Marni Nixon's vocals take over. Audrey also sings parts of 'The Rain in Spain'. I believe she also sang parts of 'Wouldn't it be Loverly' as well. Audrey was initially promised that they would be using her vocals for the movie and she did not expect that the part would be dubbed over by another singer. She even admitted once that she would never have accepted the part of Eliza if she had known that all of her singing would have been dubbed over. Also, Rex Harrison had trouble singing for the movie, despite his extensive training and the fact that he played Henry Higgins on broadwayt5b4his is why a lot of his singing sounded more like it was spoken than sung. Jeremy Brett's voice (the actor who played Freddie) was also dubbed over, despite the fact that he could sing quite well when the movie was made. Oh and Audrey even agreed that the role of Eliza should have gone to Julie Andrewsthe director didn't cast her because he felt she wasn't well-known enough and it's been said he didn't think Andrews would be photogenic enough. Before you condemn Audrey for not singing in the movie, I think you should know that there was more to it than that.
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Mike1388 — 15 years ago(August 14, 2010 06:16 AM)
I'm not a fan of both and I actually just found out today about Emma's comment on Hepburn (mind me I'm from Asia), but seeing from her interviews Emma seems to be a very witty and outspoken person, which is not bad as I'm like that. But, as a fellow actress she shouldn't stated that. I like Hepburn and have only see her in 'Breakfast with Tiffany' which I thought was a very nice film, where else I haven't seen many films of Emma. But, when we are on the subject of 'acting'; Emma is not as great as Meryl Streep or even Helen Mirren from her own country, so it was pretty rude for her to say that.
She actually create another small attention when she appeared on Craig Ferguson's last night (which I enjoyed); read this -
Link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/7944565/Emma-Thompson-criticised-for-gay-stoning-joke-on-Isle-of-Wight.html -
MerchantIvoryFan — 15 years ago(August 09, 2010 08:06 AM)
Emma is the polar opposite of Audrey that's why she said what she said. She didn't even try to see Audrey as an actress.
Audrey was never that "cute little girl" that someone on here mentioned. This woman was shockingl1c84y stunning and had a totally different look than the blonde bombshells of the time that was so popular. She was cultured, stunning with imperfect features and very talented. She is far from perfect as she had her share of men that could rival Grace Kelly. She was regal in all her movies and that's what people are picking up on when they say "she's the same" She was royal (daughter of a Baroness) and knew struggle the likes Emma Thompson would never know. Emma should know better than to bash someone. She did this all because she wants people to see her version of My Fair Lady. Not a good move. -
Excitable-Boy — 15 years ago(August 09, 2010 12:18 PM)
I'll never understand why people feel the need to come to the defense of a long dead "legend".
It's one thing if you're a fan, but many take it personally when someone takes even a slightly critical slant toward their favorite actor.
It's the same hero-worshiping I see with other so-called "5b4icons"; James Dean, Elvis, John Wayne (and in the case of both Wayne and Hepburn, frankly, they were limited in their abilities i.e. not very good)
Certainly, they had presence, style and distinction - But I don't believe they were ever particularly talented thespians. I understand that's my opinion, but I doubt I'll ever be convinced of their
talent
.
I'll concede to the fact that Thompson's comments were tactless and ill-worded But theres no need to call for the woman's head on a plate just because she badmouthed precious Audrey.
It's clean, real clean. Like my conscience. -
mmitsos-1 — 15 years ago(August 13, 2010 11:30 PM)
Maybe she felt that Hepburn's performance was just so god awful in the film (which it was), that it slipped out. She rebounded by saying that she was sure that she was a completely fine human being (something to that effect), but just didn't think she was a good actress in THAT FILM. I don't think she was talking about her entire career, because she seemed to imply that she hadn't SEEN her other, or many of her other, films.
I think it's refreshing when someone in the acting community says something honest about members of their "club". Emma's honest, and correct, and I don't see anything wrong with that. -
cowy4 — 15 years ago(August 09, 2010 12:02 PM)
Audrey was a movie star kind of like alot of our movie stars of today that cant really act, but we still love them. Hepburn really didnt even make many films but the ones she did make were hits. She was a true glamorous movie star and well loved for her humanitarian work and her hit classic films. Elizabeth Taylor wasnt that great either or Natalie Wood, but I loved them the most!!