Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn on the creation of ‘Roman Holiday’
After debuting on screens in the 1950s, Audrey Hepburn became one of the most iconic faces in cinema, starring in countless successful movies, from Breakfast at Tiffany’s to Sabrina. The actor, who had initially trained as a ballerina, rose to prominence due to her multi-talented abilities, as well as her status as a fashion icon.
Hepburn defined a distinctive period of Hollywood cinema, consistently delivering star turns opposite established actors like Cary Grant and Humphrey Bogart. After suffering a tumultuous childhood living under Nazi occupation in the Netherlands and almost dying of starvation, Hepburn’s efforts to become a prima ballerina were thwarted due to the effects of malnutrition on her body. Subsequently, Hepburn began working as a dancer in the West End before focusing on acting.
After a few minor film roles, Hepburn landed a significant supporting part in 1952’s Secret People. However, the actor secured her first leading role the following year in William Wyler’s Roman Holiday, which remains one of the actor’s most enduring and beloved films. Starring opposite Gregory Peck, Hepburn played a European princess, Ann, who embarks on a whirlwind night of fun with Peck’s reporter, Joe.
The actors discussed working on Roman Holiday in a 1988 documentary about Peck, His Own Man, with Hepburn praising her co-star for securing them equal billing on the poster, despite her being a relatively unknown actor. She explained: “Greg could very well have said at the time, ‘Well, you know, she’s just a little dancer and perhaps you’d better get somebody more established.'” However, Peck described how he found out Wyler was casting an unknown, “I thought, ‘Well, he must have found a marvellous girl.’ Willie… he found one of the greatest film stars of all time.”
In another clip, Hepburn discussed working with Wyler, stating: “His attitude that only simplicity and the truth counts, it has to come from inside – you can’t fake it – is something I learned from him.” However, when Hepburn joined the project, she knew very little about Wyler. On the other hand, she knew a lot about Peck, who had already starred in countless productions, such as Alfred Hitchcock’s Spellbound and Elia Kazan’s The Gentleman’s Agreement.
Hepburn recalled: “To do a movie with him…imagine what – my first picture – what that felt like. We all knew that [Hepburn] was going to be an important star, and we began to talk off-camera about the chance that she might win an Academy Award in her first film.” He was right – Hepburn received the ‘Best Actress’ Oscar for her performance, despite having acted in only a few movies beforehand.
Hepburn also discussed the emotional scene in which Ann and Joe must part, which required the actor to shed real tears. However, she was unsure how to make herself cry, “I had no idea how to come by these tears, I mean, I’d acted so little.” As the actor failed to produce tears, “Out of the blue, [Wyler] came over to the car and gave me hell. He said, ‘Look, we can’t stay here all night, can’t you cry for godsakes?’ Willie had never spoken to me like that, ever. […] I broke into such sobs and he shot the scene and that was it.” Hepburn reassured that after the scene, the director came over and apologised, saying, “We had to get you to do it somehow!”
Roman Holiday remains a classic due to Hepburn and Peck’s brilliant performances and chemistry. Hepburn would go on to have one of the most successful careers in Hollywood history, earning four more Academy Award ‘Best Actress’ nominations and becoming an EGOT winner.
Check out the clips below.
