The iconic role Katharine Hepburn was desperate to play: “Practically written for me”
During her career in Hollywood, Katharine Hepburn appeared in many acclaimed movies, which helped to establish her as a cinematic icon. Whether she was acting in screwball comedies like Bringing Up Baby or adventure flicks like The African Queen, Hepburn demonstrated impressive range, and it’s no surprise she holds the record for the actor with the most Oscar wins, with four to her name.
She began acting on the big screen in the early 1930s, not long after cinema adopted sound. Hollywood was still in its infancy, and Hepburn soon came to reflect this period of cinematic progression and popularity. She signed to RKO and quickly appeared in successful movies like Morning Glory and Little Women, proving herself capable of playing independent and complex female characters.
Hepburn defied convention by often wearing trousers and sometimes refusing to wear makeup, unafraid to go against the stereotypical expectations of female actors of the time. She wasn’t interested in wielding her sexuality or being seen as a star; she just wanted to act. This made her a controversial icon of the era, and she remains an inspiration to many.
While Hepburn found widespread success when she first joined Hollywood, she found the mid-to-late 1930s more of a challenge. She was desperate to land the role in a certain classic film, but it was her supposed lack of sex appeal that became the reason for her losing out on the part.
It was 1936, and the role of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind was up for grabs, and Hepburn really wanted it. Not only did she think that it could secure her some well-needed success, but she felt an affinity with the part, which eventually went to Vivian Leigh instead.
According to the biographer Charles Higham (via Kate: The Life of Katharine Hepburn), the actor reportedly said, “I am Scarlett O’Hara! The role is practically written for me.” Unfortunately, she was met with a rather brutal response from the movie’s producer, David O Selznick, who told her, “I can’t imagine Rhett Butler chasing you for 12 years.”
Rhett Butler was played by Clark Gable, with his character enduring a complicated romance with Scarlett, and the tale remains one of the most popular movies of all time. While it has since been criticised for its depiction of race, as well as a scene between Scarlett and Rhett that lacks consent, the film was initially hugely successful, and it remains the highest-grossing movie ever made.
Hepburn really needed a movie to bring her back from the brink of failure. Over the next few years, her position in Hollywood suffered even more, and she became known as ‘box-office poison’. Gone With the Wind was released in 1939, but luckily, by this point, Hepburn had found a different role that would launch her back to acclaim: Tracy in The Philadelphia Story.
While it might not have earned the same amount at the box office as Gone With the Wind, the film has endured as a classic romantic comedy, and Hepburn’s brilliance is on full display here. She proved to be much better suited for this role, and over the next few years, she found herself back at the top of Hollywood’s ranks.
