Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an iconic American star of film, television and stage, widely recognized for her sharp wit, New England gentility and fierce independence.
A screen legend, Hepburn holds the record for the most Best Actress Oscar wins with four, from twelve nominations (Meryl Streep currently holds the record for most overall acting nominations with fourteen). Hepburn won an Emmy Award in 1975 for her lead role in Love Among the Ruins opposite her friend Laurence Olivier, and was nominated for four other Emmys and two Tony Awards during the course of her more than 70-year acting career. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked Hepburn as the top female star in their Greatest American Screen Legends list (AFI's 100 Years... 100 Stars).