• LIFE

Intimate Pictures of Audrey Hepburn at Home in 1953

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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.
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.

Audrey Hepburn, 1953.
Audrey Hepburn, out-take from LIFE cover image, December 7, 1953.© Mark Shaw / mptvimages.com
Audrey Hepburn, 1953.
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
Audrey Hepburn, 1953.
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
Audrey Hepburn, 1953.
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.
Audrey Hepburn, 1953.© Mark Shaw / mptvimages.com
Audrey Hepburn, 1953.
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.
Audrey Hepburn on the set of Sabrina.© Mark Shaw / mptvimages.com
Audrey Hepburn, 1953.
Audrey Hepburn, 1953.© Mark Shaw / mptvimages.com
Audrey Heburn photo essay, LIFE magazine 1953.
Audrey Hepburn photo essay that ran in LIFE magazine, December 7, 1953.Mark Shaw—LIFE Magazine
Audrey Heburn photo essay, LIFE magazine 1953.
Audrey Hepburn photo essay that ran in LIFE magazine, December 7, 1953.Mark Shaw—LIFE Magazine
Audrey Heburn photo essay, LIFE magazine 1953.
Audrey Hepburn photo essay that ran in LIFE magazine, December 7, 1953.Mark Shaw—LIFE Magazine
Audrey Heburn photo essay, LIFE magazine 1953.
Audrey Hepburn photo essay that ran in LIFE magazine, December 7, 1953.Mark Shaw—LIFE Magazine
Audrey Heburn photo essay, LIFE magazine 1953.
Audrey Hepburn photo essay that ran in LIFE magazine, December 7, 1953.Mark Shaw—LIFE Magazine

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Write to Lily Rothman at lily.rothman@time.com