Although I've seen lots of her films and am a great admirer of what she does, the little shrine in my head is to Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly. I must have been in my late teens when I first saw Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961); I certainly fell in love with her so I must have been old enough to be having those sorts of feelings. She has such an iconic look: the little black dress, the cigarette holder and the coquettish grin.

It's a proper piece of good acting rather than the sort of slightly frothy romcom performance we often saw her do elsewhere. She brings that delicate, demure, butter-wouldn't-melt quality to every part, and suddenly she's playing this character who is quite dark and a bit of a loony. Yet she carries it off so assuredly you'd sell your children to get to spend some time with Holly Golightly, even though you're aware she'd be a highmaintenance nightmare. Hepburn makes her utterly alluring and fascinating. It's one of the great things about movies that we're allowed to indulge little fantasies about people that in life we would steer away from.

Audrey Hepburn was a proper movie star in a way we're not really allowed to have these days because they have to be so exposed, and we have to know everything about them. And she was probably the most beautiful woman who has ever lived, which always helps.