Tippi Hedren

Nathalie Kay "Tippi" Hedren (born January 19, 1930) is an American retired actress.

Initially a fashion model, appearing on the front covers of ''Life'' and ''Glamour'' magazines (among others), Hedren became an actress after she was discovered by director Alfred Hitchcock while appearing on a television commercial in 1961. She achieved great praise for her work in two of his films, notably, the suspense-thriller ''The Birds'' (1963), for which she won a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year, and the psychological drama ''Marnie'' (1964). She has appeared in over 80 films and television shows, including Charlie Chaplin's final film ''A Countess from Hong Kong'' (1967), the political satire ''Citizen Ruth'' (1996), and the existential comedy ''I Heart Huckabees'' (2004). Among other honors, her contributions to world cinema have been recognized with the Jules Verne Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Hedren's strong commitment to animal rescue began in 1969 while she was shooting two films in Africa and was introduced to the plight of African lions. In an attempt to raise awareness for wildlife, she spent over a decade bringing ''Roar'' (1981) to the screen. She started her own nonprofit organization, the Roar Foundation, in 1983; it supports the Shambala Preserve, an wildlife habitat that enables her to continue her work in the care and preservation of lions and tigers. Hedren has also set up relief programs worldwide following earthquakes, hurricanes, famine and war. She was also instrumental in the development of Vietnamese-American nail salons. Provided by Wikipedia