10 Pics Of Melanie Griffith And Her Mother, Hollywood Icon Tippi Hedren

If you've ever seen Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 film, "The Birds," and wondered who the beautiful, stylish blond was in the leading role, that would be Tippi Hedren. Although she started her career as a fashion model and had an uncredited role in 1950's "The Petty Girl," it was her performance in "The Birds" that quickly made Hedren a household name and landed her the leading role in Hitchcock's 1964's "Marnie." Hedren is considered a Hollywood icon, but she has a hard time with the title. "It is a strange thing, I'm very honored by it but not in any way impressed with myself, however, I never look at it that way," Hedren told Image in October 2020 about this. 

As the matriarch of one of Hollywood's most famous dynasties, Hedren's descendants have graced the screens of millions. Melanie Griffith is her daughter and Dakota Johnson is her granddaughter. Being a mother is, of course, one of her most important roles. "Melanie was always such a fun little person to have around; she was a very wise little girl," Hedren told People in 2000. "We just enjoyed having things in common." Because the two have such an endearing relationship, we're lucky there's a whole slew of photos of them throughout the decades looking stylish and adorable with each other.

In 1966, Tippi Hedren and Melanie Griffith attended a Batman-themed luncheon at an orphanage in California decked out in the epitome of the '60s fashion. While Hedren opted for a white sheath with long lace sleeves, the young Griffith leaned toward a trend that everyone wore in the 1960s: a mod shift dress. At the time, Hedren was at the height of her career while Griffith, who was only 11 here, was about a decade away from her first credited role in 1975's "Night Moves." 

Melanie Griffith was 14 when she first met Don Johnson, then 22, on the set of her mother's 1973 film, "The Harrad Experiment." Despite the age difference, Tippi Hedren didn't have an issue with Griffith's crush on Johnson. "No two people were ever more in love in the world," Hedren told People about her daughter and Johnson in 1975. Here the three are at an event in 1974, with Griffith looking very baby-faced in a camel coat, while her mother rocks a fur jacket with layered necklaces. Griffith and Johnson married in 1976.

Tippi Hedren may be a Hollywood icon, but she's also known for her love of animals. In fact, in 1971 she had a pet lion, Neil, who was allowed to roam around the house like any other pet, even sharing a bed with her daughter Melanie Griffith. While Hedren has since admitted this was a controversial decision on her part, she's remained a lifelong advocate for animals. In 1994, she and Griffith attended the "Artists for Shambhala" Animal Preservation Benefit, where Hedren wore head-to-toe leopard print with animal-themed necklaces, while Griffith opted for a sage pantsuit. 

Tippi Hedren loved Don Johnson, but she also liked Melanie Griffith's fourth husband, Antonio Banderas. In 2008, Hedren accompanied Griffith to the Los Angeles Film Festival presentation of "Noche Con Antonio Banderas." Griffith wore a silver-toned gown, while Hedren opted for a red and black dress. Although both women look relatively casual, Hedren still has that old Hollywood glamour look thanks to her bold red lipstick and side-parted bob, one of the hairstyles that look the best on older women.

Everyone had a big hairstyle in the '80s, but when Melanie Griffith and Tippi Hedren hit up the Golden Globes in 1987, Griffith took things in another direction. The actor chose to get a bit more punk with a super-spiky short 'do. For the event, both mother and daughter wore sequin dresses, with Griffith embracing a rainbow of colors in her strapless ensemble, while her mom stuck to a pattern made of cooler colors and a sweetheart neckline. They both looked fantastic, having perfectly nailed the flashy vibe of this incredible decade.

When Tippi Hedren was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003, Melanie Griffith was by her side. For this super special occasion, Hedren wore a sequined champagne skirt-suit with matching heels, while Griffith took the casual route, wearing a black pantsuit. Not only did Hedren solidify herself as an icon that day, but Griffith gave Kate Middleton major competition on the powerful pantsuit front. Regarding the bird on Hedren's hand, it was only a logical choice considering she became an icon thanks to "The Birds."

In October 2014, Melanie Griffith and Tippi Hedren attended the 7th annual Bel-Air Film Festival opening night gala, all dolled up for the event. Griffith went for a head-to-toe red look for the festival, wearing a long-sleeved red dress with a hem that fell just above her knees and matching heels. In complete contrast to the eye-catching red, Hedren wore a black gown with a lacy center, a matching mini-handbag, and black and silver chrome heels. Griffith presented her mom with the Lifetime Achievement Award that night. 

For the "Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever" premiere in Hollywood in 2002, starring Antonio Banderas, both his wife, Melanie Griffith, and his mother-in-law, Tippi Hedren, were on hand. While this time around, it was Griffith who rocked an all-black ensemble, Hedren was the one who brought the color to the equation. Hedren wore a red shirt under a red and navy blazer and completed the outfit with jeans. Both women looked impossibly chic with their red lipstick and minimal, yet elegant jewelry choices, as each perfectly represented the style of their respective generations.

Tippi Hedren initially became obsessed with lions when she filmed two movies in Africa and got to see these beautiful animals up close in their natural habitat. But the problem with loving wild animals is the danger that comes with it. Hedren had to come to terms with this during the 11-year-long production of her 1981 movie, "Roar," that starred herself, Melanie Griffith, and a whole slew of lions. In 1982, Hedren and Griffith visited the London Zoo, posing outside the lion enclosure, dressed casually, but also looking very 1980s in their style choices.

In 2015, Tippi Hedren, the matriarch of one of Hollywood's most famous dynasties, attended the Calvin Klein Emerging Star Award during the 22nd Annual ELLE Women in Hollywood. With her was her daughter, Melanie Griffith, and her granddaughter, Dakota Johnson, who was one of the evening's winners. All three women were dressed in black, and Johnson proved she inherited her mom's megawatt smile as much as Griffith inherited hers from her mom, Hedren. For some reason, these icons make nepotism seem not so bad.