KATHERINE HEPBURN

                                                                       1907 - 2003
                                                  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000031/
Katherine Houghton Hepburn (May 12th, 1907 - June 29th, 2003) was an American actress. known for her fierce independence and spirited personality, Hepburn was a leading lady in Hollywood for more than 60 years. Katherine appeared in a range of genres, from screwball comedy to literary drama, and she received four Academy Awards --- a record for any performer --- for Best Actress. In 1999, Katherine was named by the American Film Institute as the greatest star of Hollywood Cinema.
(All info is from Wikipedia).

Raised in Connecticut by wealthy, progressive parents, Katherine began acting while studying at Bryn Mawr College. After 4 years in the theatre, favourable reviews of her work on Broadway brought her to the attention of Hollywood. Her early years in the film industry were marked with success, but this was followed by a series of commercial failures that led her to be labeled "box office poison" in 1938. Hepburn masterminded her own comeback, buying out her contract with RKO Radio Pictures and acquiring the film rights to The Philadelphia Story, which she sold on the condition that she be the star. In the 1940s, she was contracted to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where her career focused on an alliance with Spencer Tracey. The screen partnership spanned 25 years and produced nine movies.

Katherine challenged herself in the latter half of her life, as she regularly appeared in Shakespearean stage productions and tackled a range of literary roles. She found a niche playing middle-aged spinsters, a persona the public embraced. In the 1970s, she began appearing in television films, which became the focus of her career in later life. Katherine remained active into old age, making her final screen appearance in 1994 at the age of 87. After a period of inactivity and ill health, Katherine died in 2003 at the age of 96.

Katherine famously shunned the Hollywood publicity machine and refused to conform to society's expectations of women. She was outspoken, assertive, athletic, and wore trousers before it was fashionable for women to do so. She was briefly married as a young woman, but thereafter lived independently. A 26 year affair with her co-star Spencer Tracy was hidden from public. With her unconventional lifestyle and the independent characters she brought to the screen, Katherine epitomized the "modern woman" in the 20th Century United States and is remembered as an important cultural figure.

Katherine Hepburn was recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the following performances :
1934 Morning Glory --- WON best actress
1936 Alice Adams --- nominated best actress
1941 The Philadelphia Story --- nominated best actress
1943 Woman Of The Year --- nominated best actress
1952 The African Queen --- nominated best actress
1956 Summertime --- nominated best actress
1957 The Rainmaker --- nominated best actree
1960 Suddenly, Last Summer --- nominated best actress
1963 Long Day's Journey into the Night --- nominated best actress
1968 Guess Who's Coming To Dinner --- WON best actress
1969 The Lion In Winter --- WON best actress
1982 On Golden Pond --- WON best actress.