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In How to Be Lovely, Melissa Hellstern presents a role model in screen legend Audrey Hepburn.
by Beth A. Fhaner
Roman Holiday. Sabrina. Breakfast at Tiffany's. Funny Face. The Nun's Story. My Fair Lady. Who can forget Audrey Hepburn, the radiant star of these classic films? A beloved screen legend, the late actress also became known as a great humanitarian through her work as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund). Always elegant, charming, and stylish, the Oscar (Roman Holiday) and Tony (Ondine) award-winning actress personified gracious living. The Rat Pack called her "The Princess," and to many of her fans, she was royalty. Audrey was definitely one of a kind, and now the adored icon's philosophy on life is presented in Melissa Hellstern's How to Be Lovely: The Audrey Hepburn Way of Life (Dutton).
What began as a search for role models while Hellstern was in her late 20s turned into years of research, which eventually culminated in a book. "I think we all as women look for women to model ourselves after and Audrey stood out," explains Hellstern, 33, on her inspiration to write a book about the famous Belgian-born actress. "I read a biography about her and realized, as much as she's known for her fashion and her film roles, that really, behind the scenes she was a person of great quality [and] great character," she says.
Once this Chicago-based writer and avid Hepburn fan decided on her subject, Hellstern spent the next five years really looking into Hepburn's work, trying to find more about her, and getting a better sense of who she was and what she believed. The first-time author read every Hepburn article and biography that she could get her hands on. "She had a long history of being in the public eye, so there was a lot to work with," Hellstern notes.
With so many books about Hepburn already in existence, Hellstern decided to take a different approach with How to Be Lovely. "What had never been done was allowing her to have her own voice," says Hellstern, so she collected Hepburn's own words from interviews, quotes from her friends, and behind-the-scenes stories to reveal the thoughts and principles of this accomplished actress and devoted mother of two sons. Hepburn's unique outlook on topics such as health, family, style, celebrity, and humanity is outlined in several chapters ranging from "Happiness" to "Love" to "Friendship" to "Fame."
"[Audrey] was often asked to pen an autobiography and never wanted to do it. I think the primary reason was she felt like she had to talk about other people and she wasn't willing to do that, but then also I think she didn't want to have to go through it all again," remarks Hellstern. "She was such a well-spoken person and her words very much stand on their own as complete thoughts," she continues. "There's something really beautiful about being able to share that part of her with the world without tainting it with somebody else's subjective opinion."
Although How to Be Lovely isn't authorized by Hepburn's estate, which won't authorize or endorse any type of book, they did look over the manuscript. "Their role on it was really an oversight role, which we were so grateful for," Hellstern acknowledges.
In addition to researching and writing about the glamorous actress, Hellstern was involved in selecting all of the photos, which seems like a dream project for any fan of Audrey's. "She's such a photographic person and there are just some beautiful pictures of her out there. As much as we were sharing her words, I wanted it complemented by some of these photos that don't often get seen," Hellstern says. "It has been so much fun. There's no one better in the world to spend part of your life with than Audrey Hepburn. She was such an incredible person."
Of all the things Hellstern learned about Hepburn while writing her book, her great sense of humor was the most surprising. "Often we think of her as elegant and refined and she was all those things, but she was also, in the words of Gregory Peck, very spunky," says Hellstern. "She was a cut-up and very playful and loved to make people laugh and loved people who made her laugh."
With her American career spanning 19 films in 42 years, Hepburn often worked with the top directors and actors of her day. William Wyler, Stanley Donen, Billy Wilder, Blake Edwards, and George Cukor are just a few of the directors that helmed some of Hepburn's most popular films. Her leading men included such luminaries as Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, Gregory Peck, William Holden, Albert Finney, and Fred Astaire.
"She had such a great career and became famous for certain love-story roles," says Hellstern, "but [she] really had a very diverse work history in her films and played everything from a nun in the Belgian Congo to a blind woman. She doesn't always get credit for the risks that she took as an actress."
Audrey Hepburn would have been 75 years old this past May. More than a decade after her death, millions of people worldwide continue to be enchanted by her endearing mystique. Hellstern thinks it has something to do with Hepburn being "a landmark individual." Although Audrey survived a tough childhood living through the Nazi occupation of Holland during World War II and eventually made her way to Hollywood and became a huge star, "she remained very much herself-very genuine, thoughtful, kind, and I think that shows through on the screen," says Hellstern. "She's more attainable, more human than so many of the other actresses we see."
Hellstern's ultimate wish for her debut is that not only will people appreciate Audrey Hepburn, but that they'll also get the idea that we really do need each other as role models. "It's such a nice thought that someone like this, who was so in the public eye, could carry herself with such grace," she says. "I hope that it inspires people to do the same in their lives-to make better connections with their families, their neighbors, and their communities at large. I think it's the one thing that could really change the world, without question."
Beth A. Fhaner is managing editor of Pages.