The letter that launched Audrey Hepburn’s career: “That’s the girl”
There is perhaps no leading lady as iconic as Audrey Hepburn, with the actor becoming a globally recognised symbol of style through culturally adored roles in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Roman Holiday, Charade and My Fair Lady. Her filmography is nothing short of perfect, becoming an idolised figure in Hollywood as a result of her effortless elegance and infectiously charismatic characters, with many of her roles going on to become some of the most influential and widely loved of all time.
From the endearing chaos of Holly Golightly, the innocent charm of Princess Ann or cunning intelligence of Regina Lampert, Hepburn became a crucial performer in the Golden Hollywood era, with a filmography that continues to resonate with modern audiences even today. However, her rise to fame was sparked by one letter that inadvertently changed the course of her entire career, with one director becoming enamoured by her natural talent and casting her in a film that changed everything.
William Wyler was a German director most well-known for films such as Ben-Hur, Jezebel and Funny Girl, with a decades-long streak that led to an Academy Award win in 1936. However, he is undoubtedly most recognised for his work on Roman Holiday in 1953, which stars Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck.
The film follows a European princess called Ann who escapes her suffocating routine while on holiday in Rome, finding herself in the company of a failing journalist called Joe Bradley and accidentally falling in love, despite the fact that he is attempting to sell stories about her whereabouts to local papers to revitalise his career.
Hepburn is sheer perfection in the role, creating a perfect blend of whimsical and serious tones as a princess who is revelling in her newfound independence while struggling with the discovery that she is being exploited by the man she is falling in love with. But the actor was discovered for the film in a rather fateful way, with Wyler watching her tape and then sending a letter that changed the course of her career.
The letter was written from Wyler to Thorold Dickinson, with the director seeing a screen test after Hepburn auditioned for one of Dickinson’s films. After seeing it, Wyler wrote, “I can’t say at the moment whether or not we will use Miss Hepburn in Roman Holiday, but if we don’t you may be sure it will not be because of anything in the test – which is as good as any I’ve seen in a long time.”
At the time, Wyler had just visited Rome to prepare for the production of Roman Holiday and hadn’t yet cast the lead role. However, he was immediately bowled over by her charm and knew she was perfect for the part of Anne, with this letter marking a key moment in her career that she was entirely unaware of, with two huge directors corresponding about her talent and potential in the movies.
When discussing Hepburn, Wyler later said, “She had everything I was looking for: charm, innocence and talent. She also was very funny. She was absolutely enchanting, and we said, ‘That’s the girl!’”
