Editing Katharine Hepburn (section)

=== Focus on television (1984–1994) ===
In 1984, Hepburn starred in the dark-comedy ''[[Grace Quigley]]'', the story of an elderly woman who enlists a hitman ([[Nick Nolte]]) to kill her. Hepburn found humor in the morbid theme, but reviews were negative and the box-office was poor.{{sfnm|1a1=Chandler|1y=2011|1p=286|2a1=Dickens|2y=1990|2p=34}} In 1985, she presented a television documentary about the life and career of Spencer Tracy.{{sfn|Prideaux|1996|p=156}} The majority of Hepburn's roles from this point were in television movies, which did not receive the critical praise of her earlier work in the medium, but remained popular with audiences.{{sfn|Berg|2004|p=264}} With each release, Hepburn would declare it her final screen appearance, but she continued to take on new roles.<ref name="laura lansing">{{cite news|title=Laura Lansing Slept Here (1988)&nbsp;– Overview|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/126954/Laura-Lansing-Slept-Here/overview|access-date=October 9, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150611140721/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/126954/Laura-Lansing-Slept-Here/overview|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=[[The New York Times]]|author=Hal Erickson|author-link=Hal Erickson (author)|date=2015|archive-date=June 11, 2015}}</ref> She received an Emmy nomination for 1986's ''[[Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry]]'', then two years later returned for the comedy ''[[Laura Lansing Slept Here]]'', which allowed her to act with her grandniece, [[Schuyler Grant]].{{sfn|Prideaux|1996|p=210}}

[[File:Katharine Hepburn in Love Affair.jpg|thumb|alt=Screenshot of Hepburn, now an elderly woman, seated on a sofa|Hepburn's final film role was in ''[[Love Affair (1994 film)|Love Affair]]'' (1994). Critics commented that the 87-year-old had lost none of her powerful screen presence.]]

In 1991, Hepburn released her autobiography, ''Me: Stories of My Life'', which topped best-seller lists for over a year.{{sfn|Berg|2004|p=268}} She returned to television screens in 1992 for ''[[The Man Upstairs (1992 film)|The Man Upstairs]]'', co-starring [[Ryan O'Neal]], for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. In 1994, she worked opposite [[Anthony Quinn]] in ''[[This Can't Be Love (film)|This Can't Be Love]]'', which was largely based on Hepburn's own life, with numerous references to her personality and career. These later roles have been described as "a fictional version of the typically feisty Kate Hepburn character" and critics have remarked that Hepburn was essentially playing herself.<ref name="nyt obit" /><ref name="laura lansing" />

Hepburn's final appearance in a theatrically released film, and her first since ''Grace Quigley'' nine years earlier, was ''[[Love Affair (1994 film)|Love Affair]]'' (1994). At 87 years old, she played a supporting role, alongside [[Annette Bening]] and [[Warren Beatty]]. It was the only film of Hepburn's career, other than the cameo appearance in ''Stage Door Canteen'', in which she did not play a leading role.{{sfn|Berg|2004|p=280}} [[Roger Ebert]] noted that it was the first time she had looked frail, but that the "magnificent spirit" was still there, and said her scenes "steal the show".<ref>{{cite news|last=Ebert |first=Roger |title=Love Affair |url=http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/love-affair-1994 |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |access-date=August 25, 2011 |date=October 21, 1994 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140208024621/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/love-affair-1994 |archive-date=February 8, 2014}}</ref> A writer for ''[[The New York Times]]'' reflected on the actress's final big-screen appearance: "If she moved more slowly than before, in demeanor, she was as game and modern as she had ever been."<ref name="nyt obit" /> Hepburn played her final role in the television film ''[[One Christmas]]'' (1994), for which she received a [[Screen Actors Guild Award]] nomination at 87 years old.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/inaugural-screen-actors-guild-awards#nominee-1601 |title=The Inaugural Screen Actors Guild Awards |publisher=Screen Actors Guild Awards |access-date=February 15, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120105211539/http://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/inaugural-screen-actors-guild-awards |archive-date=January 5, 2012}}</ref>