Katharine Hepburn acted.
Katharine Houghton Hepburn ( May 12 , 1907 -- June 29 , 2003 ) was an American actress . She appeared in a range of genres , from screwball comedy to literary drama , and she received four Academy Awards for Best Actress -- a record for any performer . Her early years in the film industry were marked with success , including an Academy Award for her third picture , Morning Glory ( 1933 ) , but this was followed by a series of commercial failures that led her to be labeled `` box office poison '' in 1938 . Morning Glory (1933 film) . The picture stars Katharine Hepburn , Douglas Fairbanks , Jr. , and Adolphe Menjou , was adapted by Howard J. Green from a then not yet stage produced play with the same name by Zoë Akins , and was directed by Lowell Sherman . The Lion in Winter (1968 film) . The film stars Peter O'Toole , Katharine Hepburn , John Castle , Anthony Hopkins as Richard the Lionheart ( in his film debut in a major role ) , Jane Merrow and , in early appearances , Timothy Dalton ( in his film debut ) and Nigel Terry .