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Discover the Fabulous: Top 10 Entertaining Facts About Katharine Hepburn You Never Knew!

illustration of katharine-hepburn
Dive into the fascinating world of Katharine Hepburn – the legendary actress who defied Hollywood norms and left an everlasting mark on the silver screen – with these delightful fun facts.

1. Pioneering Pants for Women

When Katharine Hepburn wasn't too busy wearing the pants in her relationships, she was busy pioneering pants for women's fashion everywhere: This Hollywood trailblazer, who began rocking trousers and overalls since she was nine, shook up the fashion industry in the 1930s and inspired many leading ladies to embrace a more audacious, androgynous wardrobe.
Source => vanityfair.com

2. Sound of Oscars, One Appearance

When Katharine Hepburn declared "the hills are alive with the sound of Oscars," she didn't actually mean she wanted to attend the ceremonies: This Hollywood legend was nominated 12 times and won four Academy Awards, but only stepped foot in the Oscars once in 1974 to present an award to a pal, considering her unassailable dedication to her work outweighed any penchant for gold statuettes.
Source => today.com

3. Hurricane Silverware Archaeologist

When life gives you hurricanes, make silverware archaeologists: Katharine Hepburn salvaged 85 pieces of silver flatware and her mother's tea service, buried in the sand after a hurricane mercilessly destroyed her family's Fenwick summer home in 1938, and later rebuilt it to be even more magnificent.
Source => ctpublic.org

4. Kate "Parenthood Planner" Hepburn

Katharine "Parenthood Planner" Hepburn: a titan of Tinseltown, a progressive powerhouse, and a humorous heathen, this leading lady rocked the world both on and off screen with her fierce feminism and trailblazing advocacy. Known as the veritable Rosie the Riveter of women's education and reproductive rights, Hepburn made headlines first for her quirky comedic genius on celluloid and later for her work as the co-founder of the organization that would later become Planned Parenthood, as well as partnering with Alice Paul for women's suffrage, earning herself a place in history as a true human rights champion.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

Original "Poison Ivy" Comeback

5. Original "Poison Ivy" Comeback

Dubbed the original "Poison Ivy" of Hollywood, Katharine Hepburn weathered a storm of critical thorns and enjoyed a flourishing career comeback when she pruned her way back onto Broadway: The undeniable Teflon talent was awarded a whopping four Academy Awards for Best Actress and added numerous Broadway productions to her resume, notably "The Philadelphia Story," a tale tailored just for her by Philip Barry.
Source => ronfassler.medium.com

6. Hollywood's Athletic Prodigy

If you thought Serena Williams was a badass force to be reckoned with on the tennis court, meet the Golden Age of Hollywood's own athletic prodigy: Katharine Hepburn not only excelled at golf, tennis, and swimming, but also helped design her own tennis skirt, complete with pockets for extra balls, and fearlessly performed her own stunts, including a daring dive into Lake Winnipesaukee and hauling lumber in the classic film, On Golden Pond.
Source => tcm.com

7. Unmarried but Devoted Partner

In a plot twist worthy of a classic Hollywood film, Katharine Hepburn played the dedicated wife offscreen, but never actually tied the knot herself: Although she was never married and had no children, Hepburn maintained a deep bond with longtime partner Spencer Tracy, even seeking contact with his family after his death, only to be coldly ignored at his memorial service and have the tags removed from the flowers she sent in remembrance.
Source => huffpost.com

8. Festive Swan Song Performance

Getting into the "spirit" of things: Katharine Hepburn's swan song performance featured her as a New Orleans socialite and an unexpected holiday buddy in the 1994 made-for-TV movie "One Christmas," ensuring she went out with a festive bang while maintaining her crown for most Leading Actor Oscar wins with four.
Source => starnewsonline.com

9. Almost-Bond Girl Hepburn

"In a shaken, not stirred turn of events: Katharine Hepburn was once considered for a role in a 1958 TV adaptation of 'From Russia with Love' and even caught Ian Fleming's eye as the potential Bond girl Honeychile Rider in 'Dr. No', but sadly never made it to the Bond universe with Ursula Andress clinching the role."
Source => notstarring.com

Breaking Rules for Fun

10. Breaking Rules for Fun

Proving that the traffic light of life doesn't only have reds and yellows, but also a glorious dose of greens – for breaking the rules, that is: Katharine Hepburn embodied what it meant to live on the edge, confessing, "If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun." She defied societal expectations, unabashedly juggled two grand romances with Mel Ferrer and Robert Wolders, and waltzed through life without the ball and chain of a traditional marriage, all while becoming the epitome of a woman who created her own happily ever after.
Source => honey.nine.com.au

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