Four-time Academy Award winner Katharine Hepburn is said to be on the mend following tests in a US hospital this week. The 94-year-old actress was admitted to Hartford Hospital in Connecticut on Wednesday after suffering from a minor infection, a relative of the actress said.
“She’s up and around and speaking with her physicians,” said a spokesman for the Hartford hospital. “Physically she’s showing improvement in her overall appearance and her spirit.”
Katharine’s brother-in-law Ellsworth Grant echoed that statement, saying on Thursday, “she’s doing much better today.” If her improvement continues, she’ll likely be released in the next two or three days. Katharine asked that no further details of her illness be made public.
The actress’s past health problems include arthritis, pneumonia and Parkinson’s-like tremors. In 2000, her continued seclusion from the public eye and frail condition alarmed her fans. Speaking in a rare interview that year, she boisterously said, “Tell everybody I’m doing fine! I am okay.” The screen legend, whose speech and mobility are limited, insists she still enjoys big meals and the outdoors.
Connecticut native Katharine has been nominated for a record-tying 12 Academy Awards, taking home four gongs for Morning Glory, Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?, A Lion In Winter and On Golden Pond.