Bewildering Details About Katharine Hepburn's Private Life That People Didn't Ever Suspect
During her rise to fame and the 60 years she spent in the spotlight, Katharine Hepburn refused to follow the rules. She was entirely herself, much to the shock of the Hollywood community. Refusing to be relegated to the role of debutante, she did exactly what she wanted to do — especially within her love life. Because of her private nature, many of her life events haven't been discussed. Some of them are completely changing the way people look at the actress.
Pioneering progressive
When Hepburn was growing up it wasn't always common for women to debate politics and express their opinions so freely. She was outspoken and bold, which she attributes to the encouragement of her progressive parents. She was the definition of "free-spirited," both as an adult and as a child.
"Jimmy" Hepburn
At the age of 9, for example, Hepburn shaved her head, wore her brother's clothes, and only answered to the name "Jimmy". Hepburn never let her beauty or femininity dictate her life or her choices. As a child, she marched to the beat of her own drum. She became even more independent as her fame increased.
The star that almost wasn't
Not everyone appreciated Hepburn's outspoken personality, though. Producer David O. Selznick didn't want to cast Hepburn in one of her early roles because he thought the audience wouldn't like her. We can't help but wonder what made Selznick so sure of this! Hepburn herself had a few thoughts on the matter.
Rocky career
According to The New York Times, she once said, “I strike people as peculiar in some way, although I don’t quite understand why. Of course, I have an angular face, an angular body and, I suppose, an angular personality, which jabs into people.” As a woman in 1930s-era Hollywood, she may have had good reason to be a little "angular."
