Audrey in Funny Face | Image: Paramount Pictures
Audrey Hepburn evokes thoughts of grace, softness and a somewhat girlish innocence. Yet that image belies the toughness that Hepburn acquired early in her life, in order to survive the grim circumstances of her surroundings. Born in Ixelles, a district of Brussels in 1929, the actress was a young girl thrust into the turmoil and chaos that was Europe in the second world war. As a result, she was subject to life-threatening situations. For example, to quote from the linked article,
"During World War II, Audrey’s town had been taken over by German soldiers. People were not allowed to freely come and go. Food was very scarce, in fact just to survive, Audrey and her family would grind tulip bulbs to eat and attempt to bake grass into bread. This lead to her being extremely malnourished and would lead to complications in her life down the road. Undernourishment, acute anemia, аnd respiratory problems durіng thе war, whісh contributed tо hеr lifelong waif-like figure."