5 Katharine Hepburn Roles You Have Definitely Never Heard About
Katharine Hepburn was known for plenty of things. There was her patrician accent and refined beauty, her gender-defying wardrobe, her fondness for playing strong and smart women. And, perhaps most of all, her love affair with her frequent costar Spencer Tracy. While the Connecticut-born icon was quite selective in choosing parts that reflected her preference for a certain kind of gutsy gal, she wasn’t afraid to try something new, even if it meant being a bit misunderstood.
Katharine Hepburn died 22 years ago at the age of 96. To honor this fearless star of The Philadelphia Story, The African Queen, On Golden Pond and so many other stellar TV and feature films, here are five of her most unexpected roles.
1 Spitfire (1934) — Trigger Hicks
On the heels of playing everyone’s favorite literary heroine Jo March in George Cukor and Victor Heerman’s Oscar-winning Little Women adaptation, Hepburn oddly opted to play a backwoods bumpkin accused of witchcraft in this 1934 John Cromwell drama.
Both Hepburn and the film earned Photoplay Awards, which were a lot like early Oscars, and Hepburn enjoyed the chance to let her natural tomboy tendencies fly. Ultimately, though, she felt she failed at playing the wild Trigger Hicks, who is ultimately tamed by the love of a citified man. “Shame on you, Kathy,” the actress scolded herself in her autobiography Me. Hepburn also revealed that she kept a photo of herself as Trigger in her home. “Trigger keeps me humble,” she said.
2 Dragon Seed (1944) — Jade Tan
This World War II drama, based on the Pearl S. Buck novel, featured Hepburn in what was likely her most controversial — and ultimately unfortunate — role of all. Though the trailer boasted that the tale of Chinese villagers before and during the Japanese Invasion of 1937 would be told “with truth and fidelity,” the tweedy Hepburn — heavily made up and adopting an unconvincing accent — was nonetheless cast as the story’s heroine Jade.
Dragon Seed did earn a pair of Oscar nominations, but tanked at the box office. Which is arguably a good thing, since it’s now rarely mentioned in Hepburn’s body of work.
3 Undercurrent (1946) — Ann Hamilton
In this MGM “thrill-drama,” Hepburn abandons her favored “woman in control” persona to play Ann Hamilton, the timid new wife of handsome industrialist Alan Garroway (Robert Taylor). Alan grooms Ann to be the perfect high-society spouse. But as she gains confidence and learns more about her in-laws, Ann falls for Alan’s brother Michael (Robert Mitchum) and finds out her hubby could be a killer. A psychological battle of wits ensues, with Hepburn’s Ann the underdog.
Some critics pushed back at Hepburn playing such a fragile gal, but, predictably, the actress owned the role and even the naysayers said so.
4 The Iron Petticoat (1956) — Vinka Kovelenko
Stop the projection machine! There must be some mistake! This time Hepburn is paired with comedian Bob Hope — a moment while you digest that — in a Cold War comedy meet ill-advised, screwball romance. That producers, hopefully tongues firmly in their cheeks, billed it as an “entertainment event of exceptional importance” probably didn’t help its fate.
In any case, Hepburn dons an iffy Russian accent and severe KGB-ish military duds to play Captain Vinka Kovelenko who defects to London, where she’s wined and dined by Hope’s American major Chuck Lockwood. Predictably, the critics had a field day with just about everything, but you can’t blame the adventurous Hepburn for trying her hand as Hope’s straight man.
5 Love Among the Ruins (1975) — Jessica Medlicott
Perhaps looking for a redo with George Cukor, Hepburn paired up with him and Laurence Olivier in this winning TV dramedy about an aging actress and her former lover who can’t agree if they were once engaged or not. Unsurprisingly, both Hepburn and Olivier won Emmys for their turn as the sparring couple, as did the director Cukor.
Playing an aging actress who rediscovers love the hard way allowed the then 64-year-old Hepburn — who would continue to act for another 20 years — to show that, just because she’d gotten older, it didn’t mean she’d ever stop seeking out juicy roles about gutsy ladies. And holding her own as a Hollywood icon right up until the end.
Tell us your favorite — or least favorite — Hepburn role in the comments below.
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