‘Paris When It Sizzles’: 9 Things That Happened to Audrey Hepburn and William Holden on Set

Sixty years later and Paris is still sizzling just as brightly as when Audrey Hepburn and William Holden were there filming Paris When It Sizzles. Written by George Axelrod, directed by Richard Quine and also starring the iconic No?l Coward, the film follows a struggling screenwriter who enlists his assistant to help him act out various love scenes, which spill over to reality from the written page. And while it might have been a box office flop, we still think it’s one of Hepburn’s best. Which is the reason we decided to round up the nine wildest things that happened behind the scenes, including what Holden really thought about Hepburn (who plays Gabrielle Simpson, or Gaby). Keep scrolling for that and more on this romantic comedy (which also happens to be a remake of the 1952 French film Holiday for Henrietta, directed by Julien Duvivier). 

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1. Audrey Hepburn filmed Charade right after this

Since actress Audrey Hepburn was already in France filming Paris When It Sizzles, they decided to keep her there for Charade, which also took place in Paris. Both films had very different plots, though. 

2. This was Audrey Hepburn's least favorite film 

In the pages of his memoir, Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit, the actress’ son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, notes that Hepburn hated making Paris When it Sizzles, which is ironic since she often said this film was "a joy to make.” The memoir did point out  that the movie taught her that “just because the film was easy to make doesn't mean it's going to be very good.” 

Hepburn Ferrer was born in 1960, four years before Paris When It Sizzles was released. 

3. Tony Curtis wasn’t in the original Paris When It Sizzles cast

Tony Curtis — who played Imagined Actor Portraying Maurice or Philippe —wasn’t originally supposed to be in the film. The situation was common for the actor, though, as this was how most of his cameos came to be. 

4. This wasn’t the first time Audrey Hepburn and William Holden had worked together

Ten years before Paris When It Sizzles, Hepburn and Holden worked together on the film Sabrina. Moviegoers were shocked to hear that the two were teaming up again, because Holden was so in love with Hepburn while filming, making things quite uncomfortable for them. 

However, given that the actor was at an all-time career low when approached by Hepburn for Paris When It Sizzles, Holden signed on despite his unrequited love for her. 

5. William Holden made filming Paris When It Sizzles complicated

Holden was very well-known for his drinking habits and angry attitude. This made filming super complicated, because he was often hung over or miserable on set. He also reportedly got very sick during filming, causing production to fall behind schedule. Then, towards the end of shooting Holden crashed his Ferrari into a wall and ended up in a splint, leading the Dracula sequence to be drastically shortened. 

6. Marlene Dietric can be seen in the film

 Actress Marlene Dietric had a blink-and-you-miss-it cameo in the film. She played the woman in white who excited the Bentley in Richard's visualized screenplay. How fun! 

7. Two other Audrey Hepburn films were mentioned 

There is certainly no shortage of great Audrey Hepburn films, and Paris When It Sizzles decided to take advantage of that!

First, they referenced My Fair Lady (1964), when Richard Benson (Holden) makes a comparison to Frankenstein. The second one came at the beginning of the masquerade scene when there was a reference to Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961).

8. The film had a nickname during filming

Weather in Paris, France is certainly unpredictable and production for Paris When It Sizzles had to deal with it more than most. In fact, it rained so much during filming that the entire cast and crew referred to the film as Paris When It Drizzles. We would see that movie if they made it! 

9. Frank Sinatra had a cameo

Frank Sinatra’s song  "That Face" can be heard on the soundtrack of Paris When It Sizzles. He sings a few lines of the opening song, ‘The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower." Fans of Hepburn’s will remember that she and Sinara worked together on Funny Face in 1957, the song serving as a fun reference to that magical musical. 

For more of our Audrey Hepburn content, keep reading! 

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