Katharine Hepburn: Make A Mark

Photograph by Horst P. Horst

Interview with Katharine Hepburn

Conducted by James Grissom

New York City

1990

I was very lucky. I was raised in a family that taught us--all of us--that it was our primary goal to be of some use, to do things and do them well, to show up without fail. It was a very utilitarian attitude toward work--do it; do it well--in which we could and should do all the hard and noble things. Acting was not, I must stress, considered noble, but my parents finally accepted that they could not change my mind or get me to be acceptable. 

I was lucky to grow up in a time when we were required to do more than survive and get by. I think that's a type of hell, if you ask me. I'm assuming you are asking me, right? Well, to just wake up and do a little bit and watch something on television and eat some food and crawl up to bed. Not for me. I think we need to make a mark on the world and the people we meet. The world is only going to move if we do the moving. The world is waiting for us to put a mark on it. The world never waited long for me to do that. I get up very early.

©  2015  James Grissom