Katharine Hepburn is an actress.
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 . In 1999 , Hepburn was named by the American Film Institute as the greatest female star of Classic Hollywood Cinema . The African Queen (film) . The film stars Humphrey Bogart ( who won the Academy Award for Best Actor -- his only Oscar ) , and Katharine Hepburn with Robert Morley , Peter Bull , Walter Gotell , Richard Marner and Theodore Bikel .