Were Katharine Hepburn And Audrey Hepburn Related?
By WILLIAM FISCHER
History - Science
While there are Hollywood acting dynasties like the Barrymores and the Carradines, not all who share a last name are related. Two examples are Katharine and Audrey Hepburn.
Katharine may have used the last name "Burns" early in her career, but she would achieve fame and fortune under her own name, Hepburn.
Audrey was born with the surname Ruston; however, her father claimed descent from James Hepburn, 4th earl of Bothwell, and eventually hyphenated his surname to Hepburn-Ruston.
While not related, Katharine and Audrey shared some things in common. Both came from well-to-do backgrounds and became actors as young adults.
The actors never appeared together in a film. Katharine was 20 years older and already established by the 1930s, whereas Audrey didn’t debut until the 1950s.
The two Hepburns also developed different public personas on and off-screen. Katharine was notoriously sharp and tomboyish, while Audrey combined naiveté with aristocratic charm.