This lady was definitely one of my kind of people. Katharine Hepburn was talented, forthright, courageous, clevershe outsmarted the big Hollywood studios and she was funny. For anyone seriously considering going into the acting business, you could do worse than read a biography of her life and work. Kate, because that’s what we all called her, when we were making THE LION IN WINTER, started her career as a shining star and ended it as a revered shining star and a nominated actor, many times over. In the middle she was known as box office poison and couldn’t get work in the movies. So Kate being Kate, instead of saying “poor me”, went back to work in the theatre. She bought the rights to a play “The Philadelphia Story” and sent the script to Hollywood, without telling them who owned it. She suggested Spencer Tracy for the part eventually played by James Stewart. Hollywood loved it and said, but who will play the girl, the leading role. Kate says…I will play it”. “Ha, no way” says Hollywood, “ha, then you dont get the film” says Kate “because I own the rights. The rest is history, it is a classic film with wonderful performances, was later made into a musical with Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra. And..Kate was the winner all round. She had the talent, she had the confidence and very importantly she had the rights!
Jane Merrow | UK Actor and Producer
