Katharine Hepburn: Rebel With a Cause

Katharine Hepburn (born May 12, 1907, Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.—died June 29, 2003, Old Saybrook, Connecticut) was a renowned American stage and film actress who revolutionized the idea of a leading lady in Hollywood by introducing the role of a sense of character previously looked down upon. Katharine Hepburn will always be remembered for her bold and fiery performances in films. 

Born to Women’s Rights Activist Katharine Houghton Hepburn and Hartford physician Thomas Norval Hepburn, Katharine Hepburn was encouraged from a young age to expand her intellectual horizons, keep an open mind, speak nothing but the truth, and maintain her good health. These qualities allowed Hepburn to be recognized, not only for her ability to perform but also for her iconoclastic, outspoken persona. She created for herself an identity that is considered to reflect the values and progress of the “modern woman” of the 20th century by taking action to separate herself from several of society’s conformities, such as keeping her life out of the public eye, despite the concept being virtually unthinkable at the time, especially for Hollywood actresses; wearing trousers before it was fashionable or acceptable for women; and living independently for the rest of her life after being married for six years.

Her successful attempts to subvert societal expectations through the simple act of wearing pants were no unchallenging feat. In the 1930s, women’s fashion did not feel the effects of World War II. It was still possible for a woman to be arrested and detained on the charge of “masquerading as men” if they were caught wearing slacks in public. In an effort to compel Hepburn to wear a skirt, RKO Pictures took her blue jeans from her dressing room while she was on set. Rather than giving in, Hepburn defiantly paraded around in her underwear. Her jeans were soon returned. 

Hepburn nonetheless made an impressive movie debut in George Cukor’s A Bill of Divorcement (1932), a drama also starring John Barrymore, revolving around his mental illness. Hepburn was then cast as an aviator in Dorothy Arzner’s Christopher Strong (1933). For her third film, Morning Glory (1933), Hepburn won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of an aspiring actress. She also won the Oscars for Best Actress for her performances in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967), The Lion in Winter (1968), and On Golden Pond (1981), contributing to her lasting record for the most Academy Awards (man or woman) for acting. 

Hepburn’s characters on-screen tended to mirror her personality in real life as a woman of independence. Her fierce portrayal of tempestuous writer Jo March in Little Women (1933) is critically acclaimed and generally considered to be the best portrayal of the character to this day. From Jo March to reporter Tess Harding in Woman of the Year (1942) to the somewhat controversial role of Coco Chanel in Broadway’s Coco. Hepburn often played straightforward, no-nonsense women like herself, but with a vulnerable side, and the public loved both her characters and the actress herself.

From her daring real-life personality to her portrayal of strong, individualistic women on-screen—and, of course, her lasting record for most Academy Awards won by an actor or actress ever—Hepburn’s legacy thrives to this day, inspiring young girls and women everywhere, twenty-one years after her death.

Written by Pia Parekh