Both were two of the most beautiful and talented actresses in Hollywood and curiously, they knew how to face each other for a while. Below we reveal the reason that triggered this rivalry.
Audrey Hepburn became a classic movie icon while Julie Andrews is a living Hollywood legend. Both knew how to stand out in acting with their beautiful incredible performances and participation in classics. And to this day, both are considered and remembered as some of the most talented actresses in history.
Curiously, and to the surprise of many, both interpreters starred in an intense rivalry, which, although it did not become very extensive, was enough for everyone to speculate about it. It took place at the beginning of the 60s and lasted a couple of years until the actresses decided to end it in 1964.
The truth is that Audrey Hepburn and Julie Andrews never got to work together, but they did fight for the same role, a reason that ended up creating rumors of rivalry between the two. It was the leading role in My Fair Lady, a film directed by George Cuck that was based on the famous Broadway musical, which in turn was based on Bernard Shaw's play, Pygmalion.
The story of My Fair Lady introduces us to phonetics professor Henry Higgins, who sets out to transform a low-class woman into a high-society woman. This is how the humble Eliza Doolittle enters her life, seeking to improve her job options, challenging and captivating the professor in equal measure.
This musical, which mixed romance with comedy, became a classic, and one of the most emblematic films in cinema. As many of you know, the film starred Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison, and it was such a success that it earned twelve Oscar nominations, of which it received eight, including Best Picture.
However, the choice of Audrey Hepburn as the lead sparked an extensive debate, and this is where Julie Andrews comes in. The latter, she had been in charge of starring in the Broadway version with Rex Harrison, and she remained on stage in the shoes of Eliza Doolittle for three years, from 1956 to 1959.
When it was announced that a film adaptation of the story would be made, everyone thought that the role would fall into the hands of Andrews, because who was more qualified than her to play her character. But to everyone's surprise, the directors of Warner Bros. proposed Audrey Hepburn, since the actress was already an established star, while Julie Andrews was practically unknown in the world of cinema.
Hepburn was not been the only one to be considered, as Elizabeth Taylor, Vanessa Redgrave, and Angela Lansbury, among others, had also been considered. Back then, all the actresses had made a pact to turn down the role, so that it would go to Julie Andrews, but when Elizabeth Taylor announced her interest in taking it, Hepburn showed up to accept the offer.
Apparently, this action disappointed and upset Julie Andrews, who was harshly rejected for having no experience in cinema. And she was not the only one to get upset, because Rex Harrison also showed his dissatisfaction with sharing the cast with the protagonist of the luxury doll.
The situation got even worse when Audrey Hepburn found out that they would replace her voice in the songs of the film, and another actress would be in charge of performing them. This was apparently kept hidden from the actress, and upon learning of it, she was devastated. For this reason, Hepburn always felt sorry for having made the film and that it did not fall into the hands of Andrews.
Still, My Fair Lady became a hit. But Julie Andrews' "revenge" came shortly after the Oscars ceremony. Well, it turns out that that same year, after being rejected to play Eliza Doolittle, Andrews got nothing more and nothing less than the role of Mary Poppins, for which she ended up getting the Best Actress award. As if that were not enough, because it had been leaked that she was not the one singing in the film, Audrey Hepburn was not nominated that year.
But more than getting angry or increasing the rumors of rivalry that existed between the two, the actresses did not hesitate to put an end to all that and pose together in a photograph that would go down in history. In it, Audrey Hepburn can be seen posing with a smile next to Julie Andrews, who was carrying her Oscar award in her hand.
In addition, at that time, the protagonists of The Princess Diaries confessed that although she had initially been disappointed that she had not been considered for her role, she had not been so upset that Hepburn was chosen. “I think Audrey should have been nominated. I am very sorry that she was not like that ”.
With time, the interpretation of Audrey Hepburn began to be more accepted, and to this day it continues to be remembered while Julie Andrews went on to star in a large number of other classics and musicals, such as The Sound of Music, leaving the small rivalry that they starred in. well buried in the past.
