Roman Holiday - Characters & Cast
Character Analysis
Princess Ann ('Anya Smith')
Audrey Hepburn
Motivation
Her primary motivation is to escape the suffocating confines of her royal life and experience personal freedom. She longs for anonymity and the ability to make simple, everyday choices for herself, to feel like a normal young woman rather than a state institution.
Character Arc
Princess Ann begins as a sheltered, dutiful, yet deeply frustrated young royal. Her escape allows her to experience life as an ordinary person, leading to a rapid maturation. Through her day of freedom with Joe, she discovers her own desires, strengths, and capacity for love. She returns to her duties not out of obligation, but with a newfound sense of purpose and self-awareness, transformed from a girl into a poised and wise leader who understands the weight of her choices.
Joe Bradley
Gregory Peck
Motivation
Initially, Joe is motivated by money and professional ambition. He sees Princess Ann as an exclusive interview that could be worth a fortune. This motivation shifts as he falls in love with her, and his new goal becomes ensuring her happiness and protecting her privacy.
Character Arc
Joe Bradley starts as an ambitious, somewhat jaded American reporter, eager for a big story to advance his career. Initially, he sees Princess Ann as a meal ticket. However, as he spends the day with her, his cynicism melts away, replaced by genuine affection and admiration. His arc is one of moral transformation: he chooses love and integrity over professional gain, ultimately sacrificing the story of a lifetime to protect the woman he has come to love.
Irving Radovich
Eddie Albert
Motivation
Irving is motivated by the prospect of capturing exclusive, sensational photographs of the princess's escapade, which would be incredibly valuable. He is driven by a mix of professional opportunism and his friendship with Joe.
Character Arc
Irving is Joe's loyal and opportunistic photographer friend. He serves primarily as comic relief and a practical-minded foil to Joe's growing romanticism. While he is initially just as excited about the potential payday from the secret pictures of the princess, he ultimately shows his loyalty and good heart by siding with Joe and giving the photos to Ann as a memento, demonstrating that he too values their experience over profit.