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  • Pros Verbruggen: I'm not a Registrar, but my first question! Where were you born?

  • Audrey Hepburn: Here in Brussels.

  • PV: In Brussels!

  • AH: I'm very proud to say it.

  • PV: You speak Dutch very well, with a bit of a Dutch accent. How is that?

  • AH: My mother is Dutch and I lived in Holland during the war. I lived there for eight years.

  • PV: You lived there for eight years. And did you return to Belgium afterwards?

  • AH:I went there a few times, very short, but it's great to be here again.

  • PV: You started an acting career a few years back. How did you start? Did you follow an acting class?

  • AH: Well, I have danced, I started my career as a ballet student. In Holland.

  • And I went to London as a ballet student in '48.

  • And then slowly, one thing led to another, I played very small roles (including) one movie in London.

  • Then I got the opportunity to play Gigi in New York in Theater.

  • And the same year I auditioned for Roman Holiday.

  • PV: So the movie Roman Holiday...

  • AH: In 1952. It was a great year for me.

  • PV: But it wasn't final. There were more actresses for that role?

  • AH: Yes, they were selected. The role was not meant for me, no.

  • PV: You have worked in London, you've worked in new York, then you went to Hollywood. How was that?

  • Was it very different? Was it like how one reads it in publications and newspapers? How was it exactly? Can you explain it in a couple of words?

  • AH: It's not like people read in magazines, because it's either pretty or not so pretty.

  • I have to say I love working there very much; I have a lot of friends.

  • As you know, the movie industry is very old in Hollywood so there is a very high standard.

  • I'm not sure if I'm using the right word now.

  • PV: Yes, you said it right. And what are actors like among themselves?

  • AH: I really love to work there.

  • PV: And is there a nice atmosphere?

  • AH: Oh yes, a very serious atmosphere. It's such a pity one doesn't read about that more often.

  • It's always about things that happen, but one reads so little about the

  • early mornings and having to be in the studio in the early morning, about hundreds of people

  • who are ready to work, and do so the entire day very seriously.

  • There is a very serious atmosphere because everyone takes their work very seriously.

  • PV: Do you have any preferences for a director? You've worked with Billy Wilder.

  • AH: Actually, I don't really. I have been very lucky, as you know, with the directors

  • I was allowed to work with, that is really the only thing I can say.

  • PV: Paris has had a very obvious role in your movies; there are quite some roles of you in-

  • AH: Yes, so peculiarly, in my whole career

  • also when it comes to theater. Because, Gigi, as you know, is from origin French, from Collette,

  • and the second piece I played in New York with my husband, Mel Ferrer, was Ondine by

  • Jean Giraudoux. And with Sabrina.. in the story of Sabrina I am from Paris.

  • In Funny Face I'm going to Paris. It is often something like that. Paris has brought me lots of luck.

  • PV: You have not met your husband in Paris, have you?

  • AH: No I haven't.

  • PV: Do you like musical movies?

  • AH: Yes, very much. It's lovely to work with music all around you. Which is what you're doing.

  • PV: The reason for you to be here is of course your movie The Nun's Story

  • which was filmed partly in Belgium and partly in Belgian-Congo.

  • Belgium was of course no new territory for you, but how did you find Congo? Did you not

  • have any difficulties with the temperature while you were working?

  • AH: No, not at all. No. I would love it to be very interesting and to be able to say

  • 'ooh it was so hot and I fainted every day' but it wasn't like that.

  • It was VERY hot but I rather liked that because at least I can say that, and it was..

  • It was terribly beautiful. I would love to go back one day. My husband doesn't know it yet and I would

  • love to go back together I thought it was stunning.

  • PV: And the role itself, in the movie? How did you find that?

  • AH: It was a difficult role. Difficult and I have worked very hard, like everyone else,

  • we did our very best, and I hope the public will notice this.

  • It was also a very serious subject, and I hope we did it credit.

  • PV: Then a classic interview question, are there any plans?

  • AH: At this moment very few for me.

  • My husband is going to direct another movie, so we're flying back to LA tomorrow morning.

  • So, well, he is going to work and I am going to tend to the house, like all other women do.

  • PV: Well, Mrs. Ferrer, I want to thank you very much for this interview and of course

  • I wish you luck with your career, with your movie career, like all your movies till now

  • have been such a success. AH: Thank you very much.

Pros Verbruggen: I'm not a Registrar, but my first question! Where were you born?

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