Emma Thompson Slams Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn — A Hollywood legend? Meh — not so much, to hear Nanny McPhee star Emma Thompson say it.
An Academy Award-winning actress, Thompson is writing the screenplay for a remake of Hepburn’s 1964 cinema classic, My Fair Lady — but the outspoken Brit was less than inspired by Audrey’s performance as Eliza Doolittle in the original. In fact, Emma found little of Audrey’s work praiseworthy and blasted the Hollywood icon as a girl with a pretty face who “couldn’t act, couldn’t sing, and was “fantastically twee.”
Just let that marinate for a moment.
“I was thrilled to be asked to do it because, having a look at it, I thought that there needs to be a new version. I’m not hugely fond of the film. I find Audrey Hepburn fantastically twee,” Thompson confessed to The British Telegraph this week. “Twee is whimsy without wit. It’s mimsy-mumsy sweetness without any kind of bite. And that’s not for me. She can’t sing and she can’t really act, I’m afraid. I’m sure she was a delightful woman – and perhaps if I had known her I would have enjoyed her acting more, but I don’t and I didn’t, so that’s all there is to it, really,” Emma spat as a matter of fact.
“It was Cecil Beaton’s designs and Rex Harrison that gave it its extraordinary quality. I don’t do Audrey Hepburn. I think that she’s a guy thing… It’s high time that the extraordinary role of Eliza was reinterpreted, because it’s a very fantastic part for a woman,” explained.
Thompson plans to give My Fair Lady a feminist makeover in the proposed update, which could arrive on cinema screens as early as 2012. In Emma’s reinvention, Eliza is “sold into sexual slavery” by her father.
“I suppose my cheekiness is in saying: ‘This is a very serious story about the usage of women at a particular time in our history. And it’s still going on today. Yes, OK, it’s a wonderful musical, but let’s also look at what it’s really saying about the world.”
Oscar-nominated actress Carey Mulligan is in negotiations to play Eliza, while Hugh Grant and Rupert Everett have been linked to the role of Professor Henry Higgins.
Written by Castina on August 9th, 2010 | Tagged as: Audrey Hepburn,Emma Thompson
On August 9th 2010, Susan D. wrote:
Emma Thompson is a talentless pig dyke from the island of nothing that breeds talentless pig dykes. The star was bought or given, but never for any talent that was never displayed. And an ugly pig at that.
On September 23rd 2010, Andreas J wrote:
Who is Emma Thompson?? Maybe it would do her a ton of good to know that I found out about her while googling Audrey Hepburn.
On October 17th 2010, Dagnija B wrote:
I totaly agree with Andreas J
On October 22nd 2010, brian wrote:
audrey hepburn will still be loved in 100 years, Emma Thompson will be an unknown in 100 months !
On January 14th 2011, Andrew wrote:
While I have nothing against Audrey, I am a huge fan of Emma Thompson and I find her comments hilarious. She is my comedy hero of the day. I can’t wait to see the version of My Fair Lady she is cooking up!
On January 14th 2011, Andrew wrote:
Oh, and Susan D needs to take a good look at herself. Pig dyke, really? Homophobia is disgusting enough in situations where it is applicable, but Emma Thompson is not even a lesbian.
On April 12th 2011, Marissa T wrote:
well lucky for us, Mulligan has all the looks and twice the talent of the beloved Hepburn. Hepburn was beautiful inside and out; but fortunatly we live in a world where that doesn’t have to be a woman’s only validation of worth. Mulligan is a dedicatted master of her craft, with plenty enough wit to keep Thompson more than happy. Kodos to the reimagining effort and I think someone should take a whack at Breakfast at Tiffany’s while we’re at it.