“Breakfast at Tiffany’s”: Classic Audrey Hepburn

A fashion icon is born
Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly has become a film icon, but she wasn’t the original choice for the role. Author Truman Capote and the original producers wanted Marilyn Monroe to play Holly. 


Famed acting coach Lee Strasburg, who was working with Monroe at the time, told her playing a call girl would be bad for her image, so she turned the role down. 

When Hepburn stepped into the part, script changes were made to tailor it to her unique talents. Even though Breakfast at Tiffany’s is one of Hepburn’s most popular films, Hepburn thought she was miscast as Holly.

Steve McQueen was Wanted
Steve McQueen was offered the role that eventually went to George Peppard, but the producers of McQueen’s popular TV show, Wanted: Dead or Alive, wouldn’t let him out of his contract.

Audrey Hepburn was paid $750,000 for her role, which made her one of the highest paid movie actress of the decade.  Elizabeth Taylor would soon be paid $1,000,000 for Cleopatra (1963).