Katharine Hepburn was a spirited film and stage actress with a touch of eccentricity. Outspoken and iconoclastic, she introduced into her roles a strength of character previously considered to be undesirable in Hollywood leading ladies. As an actress, she was noted for a distinctive speech pattern, quirky mannerisms, and tomboyish beauty.

In the 1940s, she was contracted to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where her career focused on an alliance with Spencer Tracy, which spanned 26 years and nine movies and extended to an unacknowledged off-screen affair. Hepburn challenged herself in the latter half of her life, as she tackled Shakespearean stage productions and a range of literary roles.