At 94, Legendary Actress Looks Breathtaking And Is Still The Epitome Of Beauty

Sep 29, 2023

Tippi Hedren is one of Hollywood’s most iconic actresses. She was a model, scouted as a replacement for the acclaimed Grace Kelly, and passed through several hoops to become the legend she is today. Hedren was discovered by renowned director and producer, Alfred Hitchcock when he saw her in one of her modeling campaigns. Hedren was 31 at the time and nearing her retirement age in the modeling industry. Hence, when she heard that a producer wanted her, she was both excited and astonished. 

However, Hedren didn’t find out who the producer was until much later, despite asking about it several times. When she finally discovered it was Hitchcock, she initially thought he wanted her for a modeling job. Hitchcock would later disclose that he chose her because of certain qualities he saw in her.

“I was not primarily concerned with how she looked in person. Most important was her appearance on the screen, and I liked that immediately. She has a touch of that high-style, lady-like quality which was once well-represented in films by actresses like Irene Dunne, Grace Kelly, Claudette Colbert, and others, but which is now quite rare,” he said of her. 

The actress had to do extensive screen tests and go through the rigors of acting lessons to become the perfect fit for the producer’s plans. She soon became a pro who could display a wide range of emotions through just a look and starred in two hits, “Birds” and “Marnie,” that made her a famous actress in no time. 

Hedren, though much older now, remains an astonishing beauty. She clocked 94 on Jan. 19, 2024, and celebrated the occasion with her family. Keep reading to know all she has been through since she first met Hitchcock until today. 

Hedren signed a contract with Hitchcock and embarked on several screen tests that sometimes took days. After the tests, she went to dinner with Hitchcock and his wife, where he gave her a gift. It was a gold box wrapped in gift packaging, and Hedren’s first thought was that it was the reward for her hard work. 

However, when she opened it upon Hitchcock’s prompting, she found a gold pin adorned with a seed pearl. When she looked closely, she found it was in the shape of a bird. The movie maker then informed her she would be the star of his next production. 

Hitchcock’s next movie was “Birds,” a horror movie, and it catapulted Hedren into unimaginable fame. However, the traumatic events that took place on the set of the film overwhelmed the fame she acquired from it. Hedren claimed Hitchcock wanted to sleep with her, but she declined his advances. This enraged the producer, and in retaliation, he made things difficult for her on set. 

In her memoir, “Tippi, A Memoir,” Hedren revealed that Hitchcock was obsessed with her and forbade the other men, including Sean Connery and Rod Taylor, from talking to her. He ensured she was isolated and constantly requested to have drinks or dinner with her after shooting wrapped up daily.

He also tried to kiss and touch her publicly and privately, but she always threw him off. Once, she wrote that he called her into his office, where he put his hands on her. “It was sexual, it was perverse, and it was ugly,” she claimed. 

The biggest problem arose when he had real birds attack her during filming instead of mechanical birds. She was simply informed on the morning of the shoot that the birds were malfunctioning. 

Hedren was incoherent and unconscious by the end of the six-day bird-attack shoot and had to stay in bed for a week. When she demanded to end her contract, Hitchcock threatened to ruin her career. 

“He said, ‘I’ll ruin your career,’” she told HuffPost. “I said, ‘do what you have to do’ and out the door I went.’”

Hitchcock blocked her from working for others during the two years left in her contract. No one was interested in working with her after that. Nevertheless, she considers his actions a stepping stone to her current actions. The actress is a wildlife enthusiast and activist. 

As part of her efforts to save the wild animals, she shot “Roar” with her then-husband, director Noel Marshall, in which she claimed around seven people were hurt, contrary to reports that the count was 70. “Roar” is considered one of the most dangerous films ever made, and it features many lions and tigers. She used the movie to pass a message to the government. 

“They shouldn’t be pets. They’re apex predators, top of the food chain,” she told Variety. 

Hitchcock’s threat didn’t stop Hedren from living a fulfilled life. She appeared on TV and in films afterward and has raised two generations of actresses, daughter Melanie Griffith and granddaughter Dakota Johnson. She celebrated her 93rd birthday on Jan. 19, 2023, and Griffith marked it on Instagram. 

“Thankful that my Mom is still here with us. ♥️," she captioned the post of her hugging Hedren who sat with her on a sofa. 

In her second post, she shared a picture of Hedren, who looked stunning in a black dress, red blazer and gold jewelry, as the mom and daughter embarked on what appeared to be a "theater day." Friends and fans of the family liked the posts while many commented about how Hedren looked stunning in her old age.

What do you think of Tippi Hedren’s story? Does her resilience and strength inspire you? Let us know, and be sure to pass this on to friends, family and fans of the actress.