Sean Hepburn Ferrer
American film producer and author (born 1960)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sean Hepburn Ferrer (born 17 July 1960)[3][4] is an American film producer and author.[2] He is the son of Audrey Hepburn and Mel Ferrer.
Sean Hepburn Ferrer | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 17, 1960 |
| Citizenship | United States[2] |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouse | Karin Hepburn Ferrer |
| Children | 3, including Emma Ferrer |
| Parents |
|
Early life
Sean Hepburn Ferrer is the son of Audrey Hepburn and her first husband Mel Ferrer.[5][6] Ferrer was born in Lucerne, Switzerland,[1] and has spent periods of his life in Italy and Spain.[2] He has a half-brother, Luca Dotti, from Hepburn's second marriage to Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti.[1][5]
After the birth of Sean, his mother turned away from the Hollywood life to focus on raising her children.[7]
Career
He worked in the film industry for several years in the development, production and marketing of films. He has also been an assistant director on several film projects.[2] In 2001, he filmed the documentary Racehoss about Albert Race Sample, who, as a convicted criminal in prison, turned to writing and later helped other inmates to return to normal living. Ferrer directed and produced the film. In 2003, he published a biography of his mother, Audrey Hepburn, an Elegant Spirit. In 2020, he and his wife, Karin, published Little Audrey's Daydream, a children's book about Hepburn's childhood in Europe. Proceeds from the book benefit the European Organisation for Rare Diseases.[8][9] Ferrer and his daughter, Emma, contributed to Audrey (2020), a documentary about his mother directed by Helena Coan.[10]
Charity work
Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund
A year after his mother's death in 1993, Ferrer founded the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund (originally named Hollywood for Children Inc.),[11] a charity funded by exhibitions of Audrey Hepburn memorabilia. He directed the charity in cooperation with his half-brother Luca Dotti, and Robert Wolders, his mother's partner, which aimed to continue the humanitarian work of Audrey Hepburn.[12] Ferrer brought the exhibition "Timeless Audrey" on a world tour to raise money for the foundation.[13] He served as chairman of the fund before resigning in 2012, turning over the position to Dotti.[14] In 2017, Ferrer was sued by the fund for alleged self-serving conduct.[14] In October 2017, Ferrer responded by suing the fund for trademark infringement, claiming that the fund no longer had the right to use Hepburn's name or likeness.[11] Ferrer's suit against the fund was dismissed in March 2018 due to the complaint's failure to include Dotti as a defendant.[15] In 2019, the court sided with Ferrer, with the judge ruling that the charity could not utilize Hepburn's image without the consent of both Ferrer and Dotti.[16]
Other ventures
From 2014 to 2018, Ferrer was ambassador of the annual Rare Disease Days.[17]
Personal life
Ferrer is married to Karin Hepburn Ferrer (formerly Karin Hofer).[5][8] He is the godfather of Pierluigi Christophe Orunesu.[18][19]
Selected filmography
- 1981: Inchon (Assistant Director)
- 1982: One Shoe Makes It Murder (Second Assistant Director)
- 1983: Strangers Kiss (Associate Producer, First Assistant Director)
- 1984: Growing Pains (Second Assistant Director)
- 1986: Good to Go (Producer)
- 1987: Treasure of the Moon Goddess (Assistant Director)
- 1987: Ironweed (Associate Producer)
- 1991: Eye of the Widow (Executive Producer, First Assistant Director)
- 1991: Pretty Hattie's Baby (Producer)
- 1993: Blood In Blood Out (Bound by Honor, First Assistant Director)
- 2001: Racehoss (Producer, Director)
- 2010: Living the Blues (Short, Executive Producer)
- 2011: Cloudstreet (3-episode miniseries, Executive Producer)
Publications
- Hepburn Ferrer, Sean (2003). Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit: A Son Remembers (1st ed.). New York: Atria Books. ISBN 978-0-6710-2478-9.
- Hepburn Ferrer, Sean; Hepburn Ferrer, Karin (2020). Little Audrey's Daydream. New York: Princeton Architectural Press. ISBN 978-1-6168-9991-2.
- Hepburn Ferrer, Sean; Holden, Wendy (2026). Intimate Audrey: An Authorized Biography. New York: Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 978-1-5387-7507-3.