The Best Audrey Hepburn Movies To Make Audiences Swoon

Audrey Hepburn always makes the list when audiences think of the most legendary movie stars of all time. Her beauty, style, grace, and impeccable talent dazzle fans old and new.

Hepburn’s indelible place in history does not fall into simply one category. As the star of stage and screen, she earned acclaim and legions of fans and became a fashion icon, particularly collaborating with famed designer Hubert de Givenchy. In her later years, her work as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF solidified a beauty that’s not skin deep.

That loving, generous spirit showcased through this charitable work only further illuminates what viewers see on screen. In the finest Audrey Hepburn movies ranked here, Hepburn effortlessly portrays a wide range of characters, demonstrating why she remains a Hollywood and worldwide icon.

1. Roman Holiday (1953)

With only a few minor movie credits and a starring role in the stage play Gigi to her name, Audrey Hepburn made her feature film starring debut in Roman Holiday. The film follows Princess Ann (Hepburn), the exhausted Royal, on a goodwill tour of Europe, including Rome, Italy.

Tired of every moment decided for her, she runs away on a whim. When she meets a charming reporter (Gregory Peck), he convinces her to have a day just for herself, with him acting as her tour guide. Of course, his plans to write a story about her change when romance inevitably blossoms.

Gregory Peck insisted Hepburn’s name appear above the title with his, claiming that she’d be a massive star – and boy did he call it! Hepburn lights up the screen as the sheltered but effervescent princess. She and Peck have a warm, natural rapport that gives the film its heart, stemming from the actor’s fast friendship in real life. Fun fact: Hepburn’s reaction to Peck’s joke at “The Mouth of Truth” was completely genuine, and the filmmakers decided to keep it in the film.

Roman Holiday’s heartfelt, bittersweet fairy tale remains one of the finest films ever made. For her lovely performance, Hepburn earned the Academy Award for Best Actress.

2. Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)

The most iconic role in Audrey Hepburn’s career would be Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Directed by Blake Edwards, the story follows New York socialite and call girl Holly Golightly (Hepburn). Despite a life filled with parties and an air of sophistication, Holly finds herself lonely, scared, and uncertain with what she calls the “Mean Reds.” She only finds solace when she visits Tiffany’s store. That all changes when the equally lonely and guarded Paul (George Peppard) moves into her apartment building.

Without avoiding the elephant in the room, Breakfast at Tiffany’s features one glaring blemish that prevents it from being a perfect film. Filmmakers cast Mickey Rooney as Mr. Yunioshi, who gives a very offensive portrayal of an Asian man. Rooney himself admits his mistake. However, this small role should not deter fans from enjoying the rest of this splendid film.

Hepburn gives one of her most layered performances as Holly, showcasing a lively and elegant demeanor that masks the frightened girl underneath. Her wistful performance of the film’s theme, “Moon River,” demonstrates this genuine softness to her character. According to the book Audrey Hepburn by Nick Yapp, composer Henry Mancini said no one has sung the song “with more feeling or understanding.”

Peppard and Hepburn also have the most romantic and grounded chemistry of all the parings in Audrey Hepburn movies. Their story reminds audiences that true happiness comes from honesty with oneself. With a pretty and jazzy score by Mancini, terrific New York locations, romance abounding, and stunning (now iconic) fashion, Breakfast at Tiffany’s entertains and enriches viewers on all levels.

3. Charade (1963)

Often called the “Best Alfred Hitchcock movie not directed by Hitchcock,” Charade features many classic elements audiences expect from that director’s repertoire: a precise directing style, memorable score, immaculate costumes, and Cary Grant. Not to take anything away from the film’s actual director, Stanley Donen, Charade does have its unique qualities. With Audrey Hepburn’s presence, the movie soars.

The story follows widowed Regina Lampbert (Hepburn), who discovers her husband’s unscrupulous past involves stolen money. Forced to flee from her husband’s partners in crime, she finds an ally in the charismatic and mysterious Peter Joshua (Grant).

With a significant age difference between the two leads (Grant, 59, and Hepburn, 34), Grant only agreed to do the film if Hepburn’s character did the romantic pursuit. Assuaging any trepidation on his part works to the film’s benefit. Seeing Hepburn charm Grant and break down his metaphoric walls gives the movie a refreshing change of pace. The two complement each other beautifully and create an enjoyable, engaging, on-screen dynamic.

Charade works well because it blends suspense, romance, and comedy. The pace never falters, the twists will genuinely surprise, and the performances will delight fans of intelligent and humorous mysteries.

4. Funny Face (1957)

Hepburn’s first musical came from this upbeat and romantic film that overflows with 1950s panache. Funny Face centers on the employees of the fashion magazine Quality. Searching for a woman to be the face of the company, their photographer, Avery (Fred Astaire), stumbles upon Jo (Hepburn), a clerk in a local bookshop. Inspired by her shy but radiant aura, Avery turns Jo’s life upside down as she becomes a fashion model.

Funny Face’s positive energy, vibrant colors, and lively music enchants viewers. Hepburn proves herself to be a fine singer and capable dancer, able to keep up with veteran Astaire. Though the May-December romance may give some viewers pause, the sweet and tender rapport between them feels believable.

Funny Face also showcases Hepburn’s effortless grace and style, with her character’s journey mirroring her status as a fashion trendsetter. Though it seems ridiculous to say such a beautiful woman has a “funny face,” the film demonstrates that outward beauty reflects the confidence and intelligence from within.

Songs such as “Think Pink” and “S’Wonderful” by George and Ira Gershwin, a fun mix of New York and Paris locations, and stunning costumes by Edith Head and Hubert de Givenchy give the movie its style. Still, the performances and romantic moments make Funny Face the most comforting of all Audrey Hepburn movies.

5. Sabrina (1954)

If viewers desire another comforting and romantic film with a gentler and more wistful tone, they need look no further than Sabrina. While Roman Holiday put Hepburn on the Hollywood map, Sabrina solidified her place in cinema history. It may sound foolish to accomplish this feat with only two starring roles, but Sabrina showcases Hepburn’s talents tenfold.

Sabrina tells the story of a shy chauffeur’s daughter who’s in love with the youngest son of their wealthy employers. Heartbroken that David (William Holden) never notices her, she goes to Paris to attend culinary school. When the shy and awkward girl returns a confident and sophisticated woman, David and his older brother Linus (Humphrey Bogart) take notice.

Sabrina’s finest virtue lies with Hepburn’s presence. She exudes unaffected but vulnerable qualities that make her transformation authentic and meaningful. Sabrina needed to find herself before she could ever understand love. Though her chemistry with Holden outshines her dynamic with Bogart to a degree, Sabrina remains a gentle, unapologetically romantic jewel of a film.

6. The Nun’s Story (1959)

A film Hepburn considered her favorite, The Nun’s Story centers on the experiences of Belgian nun Marie Louise Habets before and after WWII. In the film, Gabrielle van der Mal (Hepburn) enters a convent and becomes Sister Luke.

As she learns the ways of her Order and travels to various places, such as a Sanitarium and the African Congo, her kind heart and skills as a nurse prove more than valuable. However, her Order’s stringent requirements constantly test her resolve and faith, awakening doubts within her.

Arguably her finest performance, Hepburn brings the needed gravity to her role in quiet, nuanced ways. She conveys so much with her expressive eyes and delivers lines with the necessary emotion. Though the film runs for two and a half hours, it never feels slow or boring. On the contrary, The Nun’s Story engages audiences with its meaningful tale.

The Nun’s Story also further ignited Hepburn’s giving spirit. Interacting with the people of Africa inspired her work with UNICEF later in life. As Nick Yapp states, “…the suffering she saw in the leper colonies, asylums, and orphanages of the Congo was to claim a stake in her future life.”

The Nun’s Story provides viewers with a beautiful film. For Hepburn, it earned her a Best Actress Oscar nomination, but something else even more important – a glimpse into the horrors of the world outside of herself.

7. Wait Until Dark (1967)

Hepburn’s most frightening film, Wait Until Dark, delivers another extraordinary Hepburn performance and a chilling, edge-of-your-seat thriller. The movie revolves around Susy Hendrix (Hepburn), a blind woman and newlywed. After her husband innocently agrees to hold onto a doll for a stranger, he leaves it with his wife. However, neither realize its actual contents: drugs. Soon, with her husband gone, three criminals seeking these narcotics terrorize Susy.

Wait Until Dark bolsters a terrific supporting cast of Alan Arkin and Richard Crenna. It also features what only the best suspense films possess: genuine, nail-biting moments of tension. As Susy finds a way to defend herself despite her lack of sight, viewers will empathize and find themselves holding their breath.

The riveting film earned Hepburn another Best Actress Oscar nomination and deserves to sit alongside the finest suspense films of the era.

8. Always (1989)

A remake of the 1943 film A Guy Named Joe, Always tells the story of deceased pilot Pete Sandich (Richard Dreyfuss), whose spirit subconsciously helps his grief-stricken love Dorinda (Holly Hunter) move on with life. In the film, Hepburn plays Hap, an angel who guides Pete and gives him the advice he needs to think beyond himself so he can move on to Heaven.

In her final film before her death, Hepburn’s role feels more like a cameo. Dreyfuss, Hunter, John Goodman, and Brad Johnson provide the movie’s primary storyline. This heartfelt and touching film demonstrates the power of selflessness and true love. Each actor delivers some of their finest work. Still, though Hepburn only appears for a few minutes, she leaves a lasting impact.

Always will surprise and move many watchers to tears in one of director Steven Spielberg’s most underrated and overlooked movies.

9. My Fair Lady (1964)

Another of Hepburn’s seminal films, My Fair Lady, has so much going for it. For its impressive production quality, the film won eight richly deserved Oscars. Indeed, the sets, gorgeous costumes, and glorious song after song will sweep musical lovers away to another time.

The story (based on the stage musical and George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion) follows the flower girl, Eliza Doolittle (Hepburn), and Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison), the stuffy professor determined to make her a proper lady.

Hepburn sparkles in this role, making Eliza’s transformation a joy to witness. However, filmmakers chose to dub her singing with soprano Marni Nixon, whose tone and vocal range exceed Hepburn’s capabilities. The world will never know if audiences would have been critical of Hepburn’s singing, but her acting performance still deserves recognition.

Though the love story between Eliza and Higgins can be challenging to accept, the rest of the film shines so brightly that it makes up for any flaws in the romance.

10. How To Steal a Million (1966)

An often underappreciated movie in Hepburn’s career, How to Steal a Million, has a superb visual style, intriguing plot, and fabulous fashion. The film centers on Nicole Bonnet, the daughter of an art forger and cat burglar Simon Dermott, who joins forces to steal a painting from a museum and protect her father’s reputation.

How to Steal a Million steals the hearts of moviegoers who enjoy fun and stylish heist films like Ocean’s 11. Though a bit too long, the movie remains engaging, aided by the incredible cast of Hepburn, Peter O’Toole, Eli Wallach, and Charles Boyer. Nicole and Simon make for a more good-natured Bonnie and Clyde, inspiring many viewers to find their own metaphoric partner in crime – and love.

11. Paris When It Sizzles (1964)

Paris When It Sizzles reunites Hepburn with her Sabrina co-star William Holden in one of the silliest, campiest, and most delightful movies of both their careers. The movie centers on screenplay writer Richard Benson, who hires the effervescent, no-nonsense Gaby as his typist.

When Gaby discovers Richard spends all his time drinking instead of writing, the two find a way of working together that breaks his writer’s block. The pair imagine themselves in the story, creating a film within a film and blurring the romantic line between reality and fiction.

Paris When It Sizzles will charm Hepburn and Holden fans and those who love films that blend fantasy and reality. The film features a meta, breaking-the-fourth-wall style, hilarious sight gags, and an elegant production design. The juxtaposition between the sophisticated French design and the slapstick comedy inspires many laughs. Much like a fish-out-of-water scenario, these opposing elements give the film its charming humor.

12. The Children’s Hour (1961)

Hepburn’s darkest, saddest film, The Children’s Hour, features one of her career’s most resonant and tragic stories. The movie centers on Karen Wright (Hepburn) and Martha Dobie (Shirley MacLaine), two teachers and the heads of the Dobie School for Girls. After a string of bad behavior, punishments, and overhearing arguments, the spiteful student Mary accuses Karen and Martha of having a romantic relationship.

With censors still in place in 1961, no one used the specific terms, but the apparent implications became clear. Without the benefit of particular dialogue, this film’s message must come across through subtlety, subtext, and acting. The story’s immense sadness, aided by the performances, makes The Children’s Hour an affecting look at the consequences of hate, lies, manipulation, and individual ostracism. The lack of empathy reigns supreme, creating a film with a clear message that will remain with viewers.

13. Love in the Afternoon (1957)

Another film featuring a May-December romance, Love in the Afternoon, benefits from Gary Cooper’s stoic and imposing presence, which complements Hepburn’s lively, tenacious spirit. In the film, private detective Claude Chavasse (Maurice Chevalier) discovers the affair between a client’s wife and the notorious lady’s man, Frank Flannegan (Cooper).

With the client intent on killing Frank, Chavasse’s daughter Ariana (Hepburn) rushes to prevent his murder. Of course, what neither anticipated occurs when the two fall for each other.

Though slow-moving at times, Love in the Afternoon has many virtues. The black-and-white film, with its hazy sheen and frequent shadows, adds to the melancholic tone. Romantic but not saccharine, the film also features sophistication and dry humor, unlike any of Hepburn’s other films. Ultimately, the film demonstrates the failings of stubborn pride and the beauty of ageless connections.

14. Green Mansions (1959)

Although many critics and film enthusiasts panned Green Mansions, many Hepburn fans have great affection for It. Although miscast by today’s standards, like some other classic films, judging the film at face value and by its core themes illuminates its fine qualities.

The story follows a young Venezuelan man (Anthony Perkins) who flees the revolution after the death of his father. In the jungle he meets Rima (Hepburn), a quiet and enchanting girl, at home with nature. That includes a beautiful fawn that Hepburn later adopted as a pet.

With white-washing and problematic story elements, Green Mansions will appeal to only some. Still, the movie (directed by Hepburn’s husband at the time, Mel Ferrer) has a sense of wonder about the natural world that remains relevant today. A year before his iconic role in Psycho, Perkins doesn’t live up to Hepburn’s other leading men. Still, his gentle demeanor matches the softness in Hepburn’s ethereal Rima.

Consequently, Perkins and Hepburn’s rapport creates a serene atmosphere that matches what Green Mansions ultimately wants its viewers to experience and take away: no force, however strong or violent, can stand between the deepest love.

15. Robin and Marian (1976)

Most films about Robin Hood tell sweeping tales of the legendary hero in his prime. Robin and Marian tells a much different story. In the movie, Robin (Sean Connery) and “Little” John (Nicol Williamson) return home to England after years of fighting in the Crusades alongside Richard, the Lion Heart (Richard Harris). Upon Richard’s death, Robin returns to Sherwood and discovers his lost love, Marian (Hepburn), has become a nun.

Robin and Marian features the tried and true elements audiences expect from a movie about these characters: John (Ian Holm) and the Sheriff of Nottingham’s (Robert Shaw) ruthless ways, the plight of the local villagers, Robin’s pride in battle, and he and Marian’s undying love for each other.

What makes this film refreshing stems from the timeless characterizations. Seeing Robin and Marian much older gives viewers a unique perspective. Their carefree, unspoiled days have vanished. Instead, mature minds remain while their hearts burn with youthful, passionate love.

Connery and Hepburn have a believable chemistry, especially when Robin’s longing for battle brings out her greatest fears. This simple, engaging film should go on Hepburn, Connery, and Robin Hood fans’ playlists.