Katherine Hepburn

Some people are famous for 15 minutes, others are famous to 15 people but it's only a chosen few who get to be legends of the Silver Screen. Each month, Jo Mama selects a star and celebrates their life and work. This month: Katherine Hepburn. Illustration by Leonie Woods.

Out of all the female actors the world has seen so far - The most successful figure to date in the history of the Academy Awards is Katharine Hepburn, who won an amazing four Oscars throughout her acting career.

Katherine Houghton Hepburn, was born in Hartford Connecticut, on November 9, 1909 (the second of 6 children) and made her stage debut in 1928. All of the 40 films she made are worth seeing. It's hard to think of any actor before of since who was as consistently amazing as K.H. Check out the list below...

Katherine Hepburn’s Best 15 Films

1933: Morning Glory

1933: Little Women

1938: Bringing Up Baby

1938: Holiday

1940: The Philadelphia Story

1942: The Woman of the Year

1948: State of the Union

1949: Adam's Rib

1951: The African Queen

1955: Summer time

1956: The Rainmaker

1960: Suddenly Last Summer

1962: Long Day's Journey into Night

1967: Guess Whose Coming To Dinner?

1968: The Lion in Winter

Hepburn was a left wing atheist who promoted the usage of birth control and believed women had the right to have abortions. Hepburn co-starred with Spencer Tracey in 9 films and many believe he was the love of her life. When she died in 2003, (a month after her 93rd birthday) the then President George W. Bush finally got something right when he said: "Katherine Hepburn will be remembered as one of the nation's artistic treasures." Amen to that. Let's let Katherine have the last word...

Katherine Hepburn’s Top 5 Quotes:

"I came along at a point in the movie industry when nothing like me had ever existed, with a loud voice and a very definite personality and a rather belligerent look. Show me an actress who isn't a personality, and you'll show me a woman who isn't a star."

"Acting is a business you go into because you're an egocentric. It's a very embarrassing profession."

"Acting is the most minor of gifts. Never forget that they don't give a Nobel Prize for it, and that Shirley Temple was doing it perfectly adequately at the age of four."

"If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased."

"Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then."