--- title: Audrey Hepburn in 1953: Intimate Photos of a Star at Home description: These photographs were taken for LIFE while Hepburn worked on 'Sabrina' but were not published in the original story canonical: https://time.com/4300829/audrey-hepburn-1953/ author: Lily Rothman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-05-04T11:30:18.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:46:39.012Z og:title: Audrey Hepburn in 1953: Intimate Photos of a Star at Home og:description: The iconic actress was born on May 4, 1929 og:url: https://time.com/4300829/audrey-hepburn-1953/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf01d43e94196651e/69888fe8196cf43f3403b441/160420-audrey-hepburn-01.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Audrey Hepburn og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Audrey Hepburn in 1953: Intimate Photos of a Star at Home twitter:description: The iconic actress was born on May 4, 1929 twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf01d43e94196651e/69888fe8196cf43f3403b441/160420-audrey-hepburn-01.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Intimate Pictures of Audrey Hepburn at Home in 1953 > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=59dd880a-f456-4bab-afcc-c563f94c7913&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/) and [Liz Ronk](https://time.com/author/liz-ronk/) May 4, 2016 11:30 AM UTC  Audrey Hepburn, out-take from LIFE cover image, December 7, 1953. Audrey Hepburn, out-take from LIFE cover image, December 7, 1953. © Mark Shaw / mptvimages.com by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/) and [Liz Ronk](https://time.com/author/liz-ronk/) May 4, 2016 11:30 AM UTC Audrey Hepburn had only had one major film role—in 1953’s _Roman Holiday_—when photographer Mark Shaw spent a day with the star. She was a 24-year-old waif (born on this day, May 4, in 1929) who had made a good impression in Hollywood and on the stage but had yet to solidify her fame. Some, like director Billy Wilder, worried that she would somehow slip through the cracks, too hard to classify, neither sex goddess nor girl next door. The nine-page photo essay that Shaw produced for LIFE, like the outtakes seen in the gallery above, provides some hint of what made Hepburn different: rather than trailing her at parties or even in front of the camera, the photographer focused on her workaday life. She got up early for work, went to the studio, got ready to film _Sabrina_ (referred to by the title of the play on which it’s based, _Sabrina Fair_, in the story), practiced ballet and got ready for another day of work. The most glamorous parts of the day, the actual filming, were elided in favor of behind-the-scenes prep. But the day was a fitting subject for a photo essay, the magazine noted, “not because there is anything so remarkable about it but because whatever Audrey does, she looks pretty remarkable doing it.” As for the question of whether Hepburn would be more than a one-hit wonder, the years have provided an unassailable answer. In the decades that followed the release of _Sabrina_, Hepburn become one of the 20th century’s most iconic stars, and it was just as photographer Shaw predicted. In a note at the beginning of the issue, he commented that she was a “monster” when it came to productivity and that the studio technicians who worked with her guessed that she would have a long and illustrious career. “We can tell,” they told Shaw, “when someone has got it.”  Audrey Hepburn on the cover of LIFE magazine, December 7, 1953. Mark Shaw—LIFE Magazine _Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter_ [_@lizabethronk_](https://twitter.com/LizabethRonk)_._  Audrey Hepburn, out-take from LIFE cover image, December 7, 1953. © Mark Shaw / mptvimages.com  Caption from similar frame in LIFE. Dinner alone is usually eaten on floor where she squats easily because of lifelong ballet training. While eating she often reads classical drama, with heavy helping of Shaw and Shakespeare. © Mark Shaw / mptvimages.com  Caption from similar frame in LIFE. Being made up, Audrey has the contours of her eyes skillfully emphasized. They are naturally large, tilted at the corners, with heavy brows. © Mark Shaw / mptvimages.com  Caption from similar frame in LIFE. For her new movie, Paramount's Sabrina Fair, Audrey stands ready in make-up and costume to play the title role. Acting the daughter of a chauffer for a Long Island family, she is courted alternately by his rich employer's two sons. © Mark Shaw / mptvimages.com  Audrey Hepburn, 1953. © Mark Shaw / mptvimages.com  Caption from LIFE. On day off, Audrey strolls in front of her Beverly Hills apartment, wearing a getup which is a favorite with her and all the men who behold her: a pink cotton boy's shirt with tails tied at the waist and tight red slacks. © Mark Shaw / mptvimages.com  Audrey Hepburn on the set of Sabrina. © Mark Shaw / mptvimages.com  Audrey Hepburn, 1953. © Mark Shaw / mptvimages.com  Audrey Hepburn photo essay that ran in LIFE magazine, December 7, 1953. Mark Shaw—LIFE Magazine  Audrey Hepburn photo essay that ran in LIFE magazine, December 7, 1953. Mark Shaw—LIFE Magazine  Audrey Hepburn photo essay that ran in LIFE magazine, December 7, 1953. Mark Shaw—LIFE Magazine  Audrey Hepburn photo essay that ran in LIFE magazine, December 7, 1953. Mark Shaw—LIFE Magazine  Audrey Hepburn photo essay that ran in LIFE magazine, December 7, 1953. 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