Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn (1907-2003) was an American actress of film, stage, and television. Known for her headstrong independence and spirited personality, Hepburn's career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned more than 60 years. She cultivated a screen persona that matched this public image, and regularly played strong-willed, sophisticated women. Her work came in a range of genres, from screwball comedy to literary drama, and she received four Academy Awards for Best Actress—a record for any performer.
In the 1940s Hepburn was contracted to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where her career focused on an alliance with Spencer Tracy. The screen-partnership spanned 25 years, and produced nine movies.
Hepburn challenged herself in the latter half of her life, as she regularly appeared in Shakespeare stage productions and tackled a range of literary roles. She found a niche playing middle-aged spinsters, such as in The African Queen (1951), a persona the public embraced. Three more Oscars came for her work in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), The Lion in Winter (1968), and On Golden Pond (1981).
In the 1970s she began appearing in television movies, which became the focus of her career in later life. She remained active into old age, making her final screen appearance in 1994 at the age of 87. After a period of inactivity and ill-health, Hepburn died in 2003 at 96 years old.
In 1999, she was named by the American Film Institute as the top female Hollywood legend.
“Love Katharine Hepburn. Her selfless love to Spencer, with little or no regard for her own needs, wants or care, bothers me. The book while interesting, was not what i expected, yet, the last chapter was the most disturbing, love knows no bounds, she had unconditional love for Spencer, it is a shame it was not reciprocated. she deserved so much more. but she did it out of love. how can you argue with that? i hope her free spirit is still surrounding all of us.”
“He's worked his entire life and he's never lived a single moment, I mean not a moment, in the real world.”
“Enemies are so stimulating.”
“I don't feel the slightest interest in the next world; I think it's here. And I think anything good that you're going to do, you should do for other people here and not so you can try to have a happy time in the next world.”
“Death will be a great relief. No more interviews.”
“Everyone thought I was bold and fearless and even arrogant, but inside I was always quaking.”
“Never complain. Never explain.”
“No part of marriage is the exclusive province of any one sex.”
“Fuck the roots.”
“life is to be lived.if you have to support yourself,you had bloody well better find some way that is going to be interesting.And you don't do that by sitting around.”
“If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.”
“Listen to the Song of Life”
“I have not lived as a woman. I have lived as a man. I've just done what I damn well wanted to, and I've made enough money to support myself, and ain't afraid of being alone.”
“You politicians remain professional because the voters remain amateur.”
“Acting is the most minor of gifts and not a very high-class way to earn a living. After all, Shirley Temple could do it at the age of four.”
“My father had been disgusted and heartsick over the fact that I wanted to act. Thought it a silly profession closely allied to street-walking.”
“Now how can anybody look at that and not believe in God? I mean, how can anybody look at this and not believe there is some higher power, some divine force at work in the universe greater than Man, some god that created it, that created all this, that created us?”
“Children need boundaries, so they can know how far they have to go to get beyond them.”
“I was fearless...and lawless.”
“I don't care what is written about me as long as it isn't true.”
“I'm an atheist, and that's it. I believe there's nothing we can know except that we should be kind to each other and do what we can for people.”
“What in the world would we do without our libraries?”
“If you want to sacrifice the admiration of many men for the criticism of one, go ahead, get married.”
“I have loved and been in love. There's a big difference.”
“The thing about life is that you must survive. Life is going to be difficult, and dreadful things will happen. What you do is move along, get on with it, and be tough. Not in the sense of being mean to others, but being tough with yourself and making a deadly effort not to be defeated.”
“Wouldn't it be great if people could get to live suddenly as often as they die suddenly?”
“If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased.”
“You can’t change the music of your soul.—In Esquire, 1967”
“Life can be wildly tragic at times, and I've had my share. But whatever happens to you, you have to keep a slightly comic attitude. In the final analysis, you have got not to forget to laugh.”
“What you see before you, my friend, is the result of a lifetime of chocolate.”
“Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then.”
“I could peel you like a pear and god himself would see the justice in it.”
“Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get - only with what you are expecting to give - which is everything”
“Life is hard. After all, it kills you.”
“We are taught you must blame your father, your sisters, your brothers, the school, the teachers - but never blame yourself. It's never your fault. But it's always your fault, because if you wanted to change you're the one who has got to change.”
“If you obey all of the rules, you miss all of the fun.”
“I have many regrets, and I'm sure everyone does. The stupid things you do, you regret if you have any sense, and if you don't regret them, maybe you're stupid.”