Katharine Hepburn is a professional actress.
Katharine Houghton Hepburn ( May 12 , 1907 -- June 29 , 2003 ) was an American actress . Hepburn challenged herself in the latter half of her life , as she regularly appeared in Shakespearean stage productions and tackled a range of literary roles . She found a niche playing middle-aged spinsters , such as in The African Queen ( 1951 ) , a persona the public embraced . 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 .