Tippi Hedren Biography

Tippi Hedren

Spotted by Alfred Hitchcock as she was filming a commercial, Hedren was cast in her most famous role starring in The Birds (1963), and her career was born. Unfortunately, it never really took off after its infancy, in which she worked with leading directors and actors: Hitchcock cast her again as the lead in Marnie (1964) opposite Sean Connery, and Charlie Chaplin cast her in A Countess from Hong Kong (1967) with Marlon Brando. Though she continues to work in films, she hasn't lived up to the potential Hitchcock saw in her. By contrast, the career of her daughter, actress Melanie Griffith, promises to provide her with a more lasting legacy. She devotes much of her time to an animal sanctuary she operates and is active in other animal and philanthropic causes.