Audrey and Bill: A Romantic Biography of Audrey Hepburn and William Holden

by Edward Epstein

Here for the first time is the complete, captivating story of an on-set romance that turned into a lifelong love story between silver screen legends Audrey Hepburn and William Holden. In 1954, Hepburn and Holden were America's sweethearts. Both won Oscars that year and together they filmed Sabrina , a now-iconic film that continues to inspire the worlds of film and fashion. Audrey & Bill tells the stories of both stars, from before they met to their electrifying first encounter when they began making Sabrina. The love affair that sparked on-set was relatively short-lived, but was a turning point in the lives of both stars. Audrey & Bill follows both Hepburn and Holden as their lives crisscrossed through to the end, providing an inside look at the Hollywood of the 1950s, '60s, and beyond. Through in-depth research and interviews with former friends, co-stars, and studio workers, Audrey & Bill author Edward Z. Epstein sheds new light on the stars and the fascinating times in which they lived.

• ISBN10: 0762455977
• ISBN13: 9780762455973
• Publish Date: 14 April 2015 (first published 1 January 2015)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 25 May 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Running Press Adult
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 272
• Language: English

Reviews

[lindsey]

(I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

I've always considered myself a huge fan of Audrey Hepburn, but I learned quite a bit about her that I didn't already know. This biography focuses more on Audrey than Bill, or at least it seemed that way to me, but there is still a good bit of information about Mr. Holden, as well.

I love reading biographies and autobiographies of actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood. They always seemed so poised and glamorous, yet they're human and face the same insecurities and problems as the rest of us. I was thrilled when I saw this bio was available on NetGalley.

I find it a little strange that a biography is dedicated to two different actors, especially when this affair happened so early in Audrey's career. It seemed like she eventually moved on - marrying a couple of times, and having two children. The author never mentioned that she continued to pine for Bill. While no one really knows for sure, it seems like Bill may have been the one who never got over Audrey. However, according to the book, it didn't seem to affect their lives permanently, so I suppose that's why it seems a bit odd for a double biography.

That being said, I did really enjoy reading about each of their lives and careers. I loved the behind-the-scenes glimpses of filming some of their classic and iconic films. I've seen several of Audrey's, but not many of Bill's, and reading this has inspired me to see as many as I can.

I suppose it says a lot about their respective acting abilities that while they both looked and seemed so put together and graceful on screen, they both hid dark and difficult parts of their lives - alcoholism for Bill, and depression and insecurity about her looks for Audrey.

While the author seemed a bit biased at times, this biography is still well-researched and informative. I would highly recommend it to fans of Audrey and Bill, or anyone who enjoys biographies of actors.