Katharine Hepburn: 24 Fast Facts About a Fascinating Legend

Katharine Houghton Hepburn was born on May 12, 1907, in Hartford, Connecticut. Her mother, Katharine, was known for being a very strong-willed and highly intelligent woman who was very much interested in women’s rights. Her father, Thomas, was a doctor. They encouraged their children to always speak their mind and to stand up for themselves.

When it came to Katharine… it took!

Katharine often credited her parents for instilling in her a very strong sense of independence, confidence, and zero hesitation to speak her mind or stand up for herself.

Katharine Hepburn is one of the most talented AND fascinating individuals I’ve ever studied and researched. If you aren’t yet a fan, please get to know her better, watch more of her films, and read her quotes and interviews. She was one in a billion.

Below are 24 Fast Facts About the Great Lady:

• When she was 14, Katharine found her much beloved brother Tom hanging by the neck in their aunt’s attic. They had been visiting her when the accident or suicide happened….it was never really proved whether it was, in fact, a suicide or if Tom had been pulling a stunt that went horribly wrong. The family believed it was the latter, as the young boy was known for stunts. His death coupled with the fact that she discovered him, haunted Katharine for years. Probably all of her life.
• She never watched Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner because it was (her much loved partner) Spencer Tracy’s last film.
• Was nominated 12 times for the Best Actress Academy Award and won four times. Personally, I think she should have also won for her role as Alice Adams (1935)
• She actually walked around the studio in her underwear in the early 1930s when the costume department stole her slacks from her dressing room. They wanted her to wear more “ladylike” clothing, but she stood her ground – refusing to put anything else on until they were returned!
• Was a leading contender for the role of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind.
• She did all her own stunts because she felt that the stunt women never stood up straight enough.
• Served as Maid of Honor at Vivien Leigh’s and Laurence Olivier’s wedding.
• Was in a loving relationship with Spencer Tracy from 1943 all the way to his death in 1967.
• In the 1993 TV documentary Katharine Hepburn: All About Me, she stated that she did not suffer from Parkinsons.  “Now to squash a rumor. No, I don’t have Parkinson’s. I inherited my shaking head from my grandfather Hepburn. I discovered that whiskey helps stop the shaking. Problem is, if you’re not careful, it stops the rest of you too. My head just shakes, but I promise you, it ain’t gonna fall off!“.
• She is the only 4-time Oscar recipient for acting.
• Her mother’s maiden name was Houghton. Each of Her and Thomas’ six children were given Houghton for their middle names.
• Made nine films with Spencer Tracy.
• When Cate Blanchett won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for The Aviator in 2004, Hepburn became the first previous Oscar winner to become an Oscar-winning movie role.
• Was a natural redhead.
• Her favorite actress was Bette Davis.
• While she, at times, may have come across as difficult, much of it was simply the result of having a strong personality in a world (Hollywood) where many tried to hide or “curb” their true selves for one more “agreeable.” Miss Hepburn didn’t care too much if anyone found her agreeable or not!
• Was a big fan of John Gilbert and Greta Garbo.
• She became very, very fond of Christopher Reeve when they worked on Broadway’s “A Matter of Gravity.” She even told him that she wanted him to take care of her when she retired. His reply was heart-breakingly ironic, “Miss Hepburn, I don’t think I’ll live that long.”.
• While she appeared delicate, she was actually very athletic – she was an avid golfer, tennis player, and swimmer. She also loved to ride her bicycle.
• Suffered from pyrophobia (fear of fire).
• 1939 is considered to be the greatest year in classic American cinema by many film historians. Ironically, Katharine Hepburn did not appear in a single film in 1939. She was on stage playing Tracy Lord in “The Philadelphia Story,” a story which, made into a film, proved to be her comeback after (INSANELY) being branded as box-office poison.
•  According to Katharine, on the night Spencer Tracy died, he had gotten up in the middle of the night to get a glass of milk. She followed him to the kitchen but heard a glass shatter and then a loud thud before she got there. She found the legendary actor (and great love of her life) dead on the floor, having suffered a massive heart attack.
• Often called her role as the title character in Alice Adams (1935) her favorite.
• She and Walter Brennan are the only actors to win 3 Oscars on 3 consecutive nominations.