Hepburn receives stamp tribute

Hepburn's son and actress Jennifer Love Hewitt attended the unveiling

Legendary screen icon Audrey Hepburn has become the star of a new postage stamp in the United States.

The stamp picturing the actress's face was unveiled at a ceremony in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Her son Sean Ferrer attended the event. The US actress Jennifer Love Hewitt, who played Hepburn in a film, was also there.

Hepburn died in 1993 aged 63, after starring in classic films such as Breakfast at Tiffany's and My Fair Lady.

The stamp is the latest in the US postal service's Legends of Hollywood series.

Hepburn also became known as a symbol of elegance and as an ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef).

David Fineman, chairman of the US Postal Service Board of Governors, said the new stamp was issued in recognition of all Hepburn's accomplishments.

"Audrey Hepburn's achievements on the stage and screen alone make her a wonderful addition to our nation's stamp programme," said Mr Fineman.

"But we also honour her for her work as an enthusiastic and dedicated advocate for the well being of children around the world."

Awards

Hepburn became a goodwill ambassador for Unicef in 1988. She travelled extensively to developing nations to raise awareness of the plight of the world's deprived children.

She continued to work for Unicef until her death from cancer.

Hepburn drew a veil over her acting career in the late 1980s after starring in almost 30 movies.

She was nominated for five leading actress Academy Awards, winning in 1954 for Roman Holliday.

Hepburn's stamp portrait was taken from a painting by Michael Deas that was based on a publicity photograph for her 1954 film Sabrina.

Hepburn joins eight other Hollywood greats on the US postal service's Legends of Hollywood series.

They are: Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Humphrey Bogart, Alfred Hitchcock, James Cagney, Edward G Robinson, Lucille Ball and Cary Grant.