5 Movies That Wanted Audrey Hepburn as a Lead but She Turned Them Down!

Her acting career began when she took part in the High Button Shoes musical in London, in 1948. In the same year, Audrey was offered a minor part in the European movie Dutch in Seven Lessons. She did two more movies in 1951, before moving to the United States.

Hepburn in the opening scene of Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Her first role in New York was in the Broadway play, Gigi. The first movie she did in the United States was Roman Holiday, filmed in 1953. Hepburn had made few more movies before taking the part in Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1961, a movie that transformed her into a fashion icon and brought her the fourth Oscar nomination. In the following years, Audrey Hepburn worked less, and although she was still filming, the star refused to take part in several movies. Here’s a list of the three most famous movies she turned down:

1. The Diary of Anne Frank

Audrey turned down the role in The Diary of Anne Frank for a good reason. As a kid that grew up in Amsterdam during the horrors of the Second World War, she did not want to relive those horrible memories.

Millie Perkins as Anne Frank and Joseph Schildkraut as Otto Frank

Hepburn lived in a suburb which was very close to Frank’s suburb and was the same age as her. One of the pages of the famous diary actually reports on the shooting of Audrey’s uncle by the Nazi.

2. Cleopatra

Made in 1963, this classic had Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton as the main stars. Audry was the first choice of the directors, but she turned down the role with an excuse that she’s trying to get pregnant. Both the stars of Cleopatra should thank Audry, as the set of this film was the place where they met and began their romance which lasted until Burton died in 1984.

The poster of the film Cleopatra (1963)

3. The Exorcist

Audrey was offered to play the role of Chris MacNeil, the mother of Regan, the possessed child in the movie The Exorcist.

Hepburn agreed to act, but only if the movie was made in Rome, where she lived at the time with her sons. The creators of the movie rejected her request, so they made the movie in the United States in 1974 with Ellen Burstyn starring as the unfortunate mother.

The puppet used in the film Exorcist  Photo Credit 

Even though she refused those roles, Audrey Hepburn remains as one of the biggest stars ever. Her style, grace, and beauty are unattainable.

Read  another story from us: Audrey Hepburn built her incredible acting talent out of her troubled upbringing

She was a known philanthropist who set the standards in modern fashion. Many stars have tried to copy her, but Audrey stayed unique in every possible way. The actress died in 1993, but the memory of her will live forever.