Katharine Hepburn An Independent Woman

Her career, which spans seven decades, follows no conventional pattern - from her debut, opposite John Barrymore in A Bill of Divorcement, she was a breath of fresh air. Her screen personae have ranged from the headstrong girl of her early appearances to the vaguely authoritative spinster of her later films; her performances have won her a string of accolades, from her first Oscar for Morning Glory in 1933 to her fourth for On Golden Pond in 1981 - with which she became the first (and to date only) winner of four Best Actress Oscars, from a record 12 nominations.