Hepburn & Hathaway: Building & Maintaining Images of Class {Nadine Watar: Post #3}

The integration of media has rapidly expanded throughout the past decade where all aspects of media have intertwined, weaving our minds and souls along with its strands. We base our existence on the mere fact that everything must be recorded, uploaded and shared through devices of all shapes and sizes. Yet media wasn't that much different a few decades ago. The medium wasn't as advanced of course, but it did help shape, reinforce and even exploit stars at that time, as the media does today. Superstars like Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn were all famous for their different iconic roles and characters in Hollywood, yet what really made them global phenomenons were their personal lives that were presented in the media for so long, to the point where their private personas began to compete with their careers onscreen. 

In his book Stardom, Thomas Harris describes the importance of a star's image, both onscreen and off and how image was and still is a dominant and significant factor in an actor's career. Hence, Harris further states that a "star becomes a symbol to an unseen mass audience whose only contract with him/her is through the indirect means of the media". Both Monroe and Kelly gained international success from their movie careers as well as their personal engagements, marriages and royal affairs, yet they stayed true to the characters and personalities they wanted to be known for. For instance, Kelly's onscreen persona was always poised, lady-like and elegant, and these traits were only amplified when she would step off camera and onto Monaco's royal grounds, her heels dripping class and finesse. 

Another star who was known for her talents as well as her classy ways was Audrey Hepburn. She emerged as the stereotypical quirky and shy actress who soon blossomed into a talented actress and fashion icon. Her private life mirrored her career as it only progressed and landed on every magazine, advertisement and conversation. She was a rising star but never allowed it to deter her from her morals of being an elegant and sophisticated English woman. Her film roles depicted characters of status, education and intelligence that complimented her true personality offscreen. She was in fact extremely educated and influential as a humanitarian. The studios were more than happy with this star because of her efforts in maintaining consistency between her two lives. 

Despite being a fragile and slim willow of a woman, Audrey Hepburn commanded any stage she graced. Her presence illuminated the essence of poise, class and wholeness that was consistent throughout her years. Today, Anne Hathaway embodies Hepburn's sparkle, versatile talents and red carpet glamor. Both Hepburn and Hathaway began their careers through wholesome roles and slowly moved to more challenging and mature roles with an ocean of depth. Yet neither one steered away from their true genuine, "elegant" and "reserved" qualities and features. Hathaway also started out as the quirky and different Disney star who matured elegantly without sexualizing herself like other ex-Disney personas (dreaded Miley Cyrus example). Her roles were more realistic and challenging as the years progressed, yet Hathaway's image offscreen kept on reflecting positively. Even when her ex-boyfriend brought her shock and shame after being convicted for defrauding investors and her face featured on the news and printed on every magazine and newspaper, she kept her poise and took time off away from the spotlight. With these turmoils, she was never caught doing something that could jeopardize her image, especially due to the fact that all eyes were on her, including the FBI!

It takes a true talented individual to be able to balance their personal life and career where the image is consistent, honest and true. And I believe that Hathaway's journey has only just begun...