Katharine Hepburn
Biography
Katharine Hepburn was an American actress whose stage and screen career as a leading lady lasted six decades. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, and raised in that state, she began acting at Bryn Mawr College and drew attention on Broadway before Hollywood. Her film debut came in A Bill of Divorcement (1932), and she won her first Academy Award for Morning Glory (1933). After early successes such as Little Women (1933) and Alice Adams (1935), her career stalled with Bringing Up Baby (1938), though critics admired it. She engineered a comeback by acquiring the rights to The Philadelphia Story (1940), which she sold on condition that she star. The 1940s brought a long screen partnership with Spencer Tracy, including Woman of the Year (1942) and Adam's Rib (1949). Later she won three more Academy Awards, for On Golden Pond (1981), The Lion in Winter (1968), and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), and worked in television films. She died in 2003.
96years old at death
- Born Hartford
- Died Old Saybrook
- Star sign: TaurusThe sign runs April 20 to May 20
- Katharine Houghton Hepburn (birth name)Also credited as Kate Hepburn
Movie Career
- Films
- 42
- Career span
- 89 years1932 to 2021
Genres
- Drama71%, 30 films
- Romance50%, 21 films
- Comedy43%, 18 films
- Documentary7%, 3 films
- Western7%, 3 films
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First role
Knopf chose Hepburn as understudy for the leading lady in The Big Pond. When the lead was fired a week before opening, Hepburn replaced her, landing a starring role just four weeks into her theater career. She arrived late on opening night, mixed lines and tripped, and was fired.
Big break
Hepburn's breakout stage performance in The Warrior's Husband required her first entrance to leap down a narrow stairway carrying a stag over her shoulder in a short silver tunic.
Getting ready for a role
In 1947, Hepburn took the part of Clara Wieck Schumann in Song of Love, and for that role she trained intensively with a pianist.
Getting ready for a role
Hepburn prepared for the show with vocal lessons six times a week. She felt nervous at every performance, yet she won praise, and Coco proved popular with audiences.
Katharine Hepburn movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
George Cukor directed nine of these films, George Stevens three and Anthony Harvey two. Spencer Tracy appears in nine of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Spencer Tracy's page
Cary Grant's page
Adolphe Menjou's page
John Wayne's page
Anthony Hopkins's page
Ward Bond's page
All films by George Cukor
All films by George Stevens
All films by Anthony Harvey
Also two films together24 more actors
- Humphrey BogartSmash His Camera (2010) and The African Queen (1951)
- Donald CrispMary of Scotland (1936) and The Little Minister (1934)
- Peter O'TooleHannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony (2021) and The Lion in Winter (1968)
- Laurence OlivierHannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony (2021) and Love Among the Ruins (1975)
- Robert BarratThe Sea of Grass (1947) and Mary of Scotland (1936)
- Jack CarsonBringing Up Baby (1938) and Stage Door (1937)
- Samuel S. HindsStage Door (1937) and Little Women (1933)
- Lucille BallWithout Love (1945) and Stage Door (1937)
- Henry DaniellThe Philadelphia Story (1940) and Holiday (1938)
- Charles TrowbridgeThe Sea of Grass (1947) and Undercurrent (1946)
- Eddie AcuffThe Sea of Grass (1947) and Without Love (1945)
- Billie BurkeChristopher Strong (1933) and A Bill of Divorcement (1932)
- Steven SpielbergHannibal Hopkins & Sir Anthony (2021) and Directed by John Ford (1971)
- Henry StephensonLittle Women (1933) and A Bill of Divorcement (1932)
- Edmund GwennUndercurrent (1946) and Sylvia Scarlett (1935)
- Grady SuttonStage Door (1937) and Alice Adams (1935)
- Harry CareyDirected by John Ford (1971) and The Sea of Grass (1947)
- William BaileyUndercurrent (1946) and Woman of the Year (1942)
- Fay BainterWoman of the Year (1942) and Quality Street (1937)
- Harry BeresfordThe Little Minister (1934) and Little Women (1933)
- Robert AdairSylvia Scarlett (1935) and Morning Glory (1933)
- Ralph ForbesMary of Scotland (1936) and Christopher Strong (1933)
- Dan TobinUndercurrent (1946) and Woman of the Year (1942)
- Margaret EarlyStage Door Canteen (1943) and Stage Door (1937)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Katharine Hepburn's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$295 million
19 of the 42 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 42 films: 19 worldwide figure; 4 us gross only; 2 never in cinemas; 17 figure not found.
- 19Worldwide figure
- 4US gross only
- 2Never in cinemas
- 17Figure not found
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 89% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$119M40.5% of the total
- 2$57M19.2% of the total
- 3$22M7.6% of the total
- 4$18M6.2% of the total
- 5$18M6.0% of the total
- 6$11M3.6% of the total
- 7$9.5M3.2% of the total
- 8$9.0M3.1% of the total
$31.2 millionfrom the other 11 films with a worldwide figure, 11% of the total
Awards
Twelve awards and honors from 1934 to 1994, nine of them major.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | |||
| 1982 | Best Actress | On Golden Pond | Won |
| 1969 | Best Actress | The Lion in Winter | Won |
| 1968 | Best Actress | Guess Who's Coming to Dinner | Won |
| 1934 | Best Actress | Morning Glory | Won |
| BAFTA | |||
| Best Actress in a Leading Role | Won | ||
| Emmy Awards | |||
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie | Won | ||
| SAG Awards | |||
| Life Achievement Award | Won | ||
| Cannes Film Festival | |||
| Best Actress | Won | ||
| Venice Film Festival | |||
| Volpi Cup for Best Actress | Won | ||
| Other honors | |||
| 1994 | Connecticut Women's Hall of Fame | Won | |
| 1985 | CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award | Won | |
| Kennedy Center Honors | Won | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.