When Audrey Hepburn turned her ‘stolen’ voice into the biggest regret in Hollywood history, the industry paid a heavy price. When Audrey Hepburn landed the lead role in the classic musical My Fair Lady (1964), the world initially turned its back on her. They famously wanted Broadway star Julie Andrews to play the role. To prove herself worthy, Audrey devoted herself to months of vocal training. She was confident that she could sing the role of Eliza Doolittle.
But a cruel truth happened behind the scenes. When the film finished filming, the producers secretly hired Marni Nixon, a renowned voiceover singer, to record over all of Audrey’s songs. The producers had effectively replaced her voice without her knowledge. When she learned that her voice was completely erased, Audrey painfully exclaimed: “You can’t do that!” and burst into tears right on the set. But, ever the professional, she wiped her tears and continued to work professionally until the last minute.
It wasn’t until 30 years later that Audrey’s original vocals were discovered and released to the public. The world was shocked. Her voice, though perhaps not as technical as an opera singer’s, was discovered to be much more raw, emotional, and “real.” Audiences immediately realized that Hollywood had made a profound mistake by taking away the “soul” in her voice in favor of technical perfection.