Who played Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's?

Audrey Hepburn played Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Her performance as the stylish, unconventional New York socialite became one of the defining screen roles of her career.

The 1961 film was directed by Blake Edwards and adapted from Truman Capote’s 1958 novella. Hepburn’s Holly is charming, restless, and determined to reinvent herself, but the movie changes important elements of Capote’s darker and more ambiguous original. The screenplay turned the story into a romantic comedy and gave Holly a more conventional romantic arc.

A notable piece of casting history is that Capote wanted Marilyn Monroe to play Holly. Monroe declined, and the part went to Hepburn, whose elegant image helped shape the character audiences remember today. Hepburn received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, although she did not win that year.

The film is also remembered for Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer’s song “Moon River,” which won two Oscars. Some elements, particularly Mickey Rooney’s portrayal of Mr. Yunioshi, have since been widely criticized as a racist caricature, even as Hepburn’s performance remains culturally influential.