Gregory Peck & Audrey Hepburn Roman Holiday

We loved having Gregory Peck’s daughter, Cecilia Peck, and granddaughter, Ondine Peck-Voll, on our cover in 2018, and in our cover interview, Cecilia described the deep affection and respect she held for her parents. In particular, she described her father, Gregory Peck, as her ‘North Star’ and her guiding inspiration. His stature – both as an actor and as a human-being – has made him a Hollywood legend, and the equally valuable moral integrity he shared with Audrey Hepburn made the classic film, ‘Roman Holiday’ a perennial masterpiece in film history.

As I arrive in Rome this late summer, I am reminded of all the beautiful memories that Roman Holiday evoked – from the joyful rides that Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn took on a Vespa 98 scooter, to the iconic scenes around Via della Stamperia and the Trevi Fountain.

The story in Roman Holiday is about Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) who becomes overwhelmed by her suffocating schedule touring Europe as a princess. She takes a night off from duty while in Rome and falls asleep on a park bench where she is found by American reporter, Joe Bradley (Gregory peck), who takes her back to his apartment for safety. When Joe eventually discovers the royal status of Princess Ann, his professional goal of attaining an exclusive interview with her gets eclipsed by their romance.

In our cover story with Cecilia Peck, she described how her father and her mother, Veronique, met in Paris and fell instantly in love. “When they met, my dad was at the peak of his career and my mom was a young but accomplished journalist in Paris. They were both so extraordinary, but I think a part of them was missing until they found each other, and when they did, they became whole.”

Cecilia said when referring to the 1982 picture of herself with her father and Audrey Hepburn: “I had the great privilege of knowing Audrey Hepburn. There was never anyone like her. Dad and she were beloved lifelong friends.”