Tippi Hedren: Biography, Age, The Birds, Lion Attack, Activism

There aren’t many Hollywood stars who can claim they faced off with a lion and lived to tell the tale. Tippi Hedren, the cool blonde who fought off birds in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 thriller, later fought for big cats in real life — and was attacked by a lion during the making of a film.

Born: January 19, 1930 ·
Age during The Birds: 32 ·
Notable films: The Birds (1963), Marnie (1964) ·
Daughter: Melanie Griffith ·
Granddaughter: Dakota Johnson ·
Founded: Shambala Preserve (1983)

The six facts below fill in the essentials about Hedren’s life — from her real name to her current net worth.

How old was Tippi Hedren when she did The Birds?

She was 32 years old. Born on January 19, 1930, Hedren was cast by Alfred Hitchcock after he saw her in a television commercial. The Birds premiered in 1963, making her 32 during production and release (Wikipedia).

What year was The Birds released?

• 1963. Hitchcock’s classic debuted on March 28, 1963.
• It starred Tippi Hedren as socialite Melanie Daniels, a role that launched her film career.

How old is Tippi Hedren now?

• As of 2024, she is 94 years old. She continues to manage Shambala Preserve and made a screen appearance in 2022.

The catch: Hitchcock’s decision to cast a 32-year-old model rather than a younger starlet was unconventional for an era that prized ingenues in their early twenties.

Why was she called Tippi?

Her real name is Nathalie Kay Hedren. The nickname “Tippi” came from her father when she was a small child, and it stuck. She used it professionally throughout her career (Wikipedia biography).

What is Tippi’s real name?

• Nathalie Kay Hedren. She was born in New Ulm, Minnesota to a father of Swedish descent and a mother of Norwegian descent.

How did she get the nickname?

• Her father called her “Tippi” as a term of endearment. She later adopted it as her stage name.

What this means: The name that followed her from childhood defined her public identity, yet her Minnesota upbringing remained the anchor beneath the glamour.

What happened with Tippi Hedren and the lion?

During the 1981 filming of Roar, a film that used untrained big cats, Hedren was attacked by a lion named Neil. She sustained a fractured skull, claw wounds to her face, and required reconstructive surgery (Stage 32). The incident became a turning point in her life.

How was she attacked by a lion?

• While on set, a lion weighing around 400 pounds jumped on her. The animal’s claws cut deeply into her face and head. She needed more than 50 stitches and multiple reconstructive surgeries.
• Her daughter Melanie Griffith, then 19, was also attacked by a lion on the same set and required 50 stitches to her face, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

What is Shambala Preserve?

• Founded by Hedren in 1983, Shambala Preserve is a big-cat sanctuary in Acton, California, run by The Roar Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. It houses lions, tigers, leopards and other rescued wild cats (Shambala Preserve official site).

The implication: What could have ended her life instead gave her a second act that has outlasted her Hollywood fame.

What ethnicity is Tippi Hedren?

Hedren is of Scandinavian descent — Swedish and Norwegian. She was born in New Ulm, Minnesota, a town founded by German immigrants, but her own ancestry traces to Scandinavia (Wikipedia entry).

Where are her ancestors from?

• Her father’s family was Swedish; her mother’s family was Norwegian.

What is her nationality?

• American. She is a United States citizen by birth.

The pattern: Like many Americans, Hedren’s identity blends her Scandinavian heritage with a Midwestern upbringing that shaped her resilience.

Is Tippi Hedren still alive?

Yes. As of 2024, Tippi Hedren is alive at age 94. She continues to serve as president of The Roar Foundation and remains active in animal advocacy. Her last on-screen role was a small part in the 2022 film What About Love (Shambala biography).

How old is Tippi Hedren now?

• 94 years old (born January 19, 1930).

What is she doing today?

• Operating Shambala Preserve, speaking about wildlife conservation, and occasionally acting.

What this means: At 94, Hedren’s animal activism defines her legacy more decisively than the Hitchcock films that made her famous.

Tippi Hedren’s legacy is not just a string of Hitchcock films. It’s the story of a woman who survived a violent on-set attack and chose to devote her life to the very animals that nearly killed her. For anyone watching from the audience, the lesson is plain: resilience can be redirected into purpose. Hedren did it, and Shambala Preserve stands as proof.