Elizabeth Taylor

Lore & Background

Elizabeth Taylor was born in London to socially prominent American parents and moved to Los Angeles in 1939. She made her acting debut in There's One Born Every Minute (1942) but was dropped by Universal after a year. Signed by MGM, she became a popular teen star after National Velvet (1944). She transitioned to mature roles in the 1950s, starring in Father of the Bride (1950) and A Place in the Sun (1951). She resented the studio's control and many casting choices. Taylor wished to end her career in the early 1950s but began receiving more enjoyable roles, including Giant (1956) and two Tennessee Williams adaptations: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) and Suddenly, Last Summer (1959), for which she won a Golden Globe. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for BUtterfield 8 (1960), her last MGM film, despite disliking her role.

Her best-known role was in Cleopatra (1963). Taylor married her co-star Richard Burton in 1964; they starred in 11 films together, including Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), for which she won her second Academy Award. Her private life, especially her marriages to Eddie Fisher and Burton, drew intense media scrutiny. She and Burton divorced in 1974, remarried in 1975, and divorced again in 1976. She later focused on supporting the career of her sixth husband, Senator John Warner. In the 1980s, she acted in stage roles and television films. She became the second celebrity to launch a perfume brand after Sophia Loren. Taylor was one of the first celebrities to participate in HIV/AIDS activism, co-founding the American Foundation for AIDS Research in 1985 and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation in 1991. From the early 1990s until her death in 2011, she dedicated her time to philanthropy, receiving the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2002.

Reader's Guide

Elizabeth Taylor's significance lies in her transformation from a child star to one of classical Hollywood's most bankable and highest-paid actresses, and later into a prominent philanthropist. Her career spanned from the 1940s to the 1970s, with iconic roles in films such as National Velvet, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Cleopatra. She won two Academy Awards for Best Actress, for BUtterfield 8 and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, the latter earning the best reviews of her career. Her highly publicized personal life, particularly her marriages to Eddie Fisher and Richard Burton, made her a constant subject of media attention. Beyond acting, Taylor was a trailblazer in celebrity activism, co-founding major AIDS research organizations and using her fame to raise awareness and funds. Her legacy includes her status as a screen legend, her impact on celebrity culture, and her philanthropic work, which earned her the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2002.

Did You Know?

• Taylor's eyes were blue to the extent of appearing violet, rimmed by dark double eyelashes caused by a genetic mutation.
• She was the second celebrity to launch a perfume brand, after Sophia Loren.
• She co-founded the American Foundation for AIDS Research in 1985 and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation in 1991.
• She received the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2002 for her philanthropic work.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (27 February 1932 – 23 March 2011) was an American English-born Academy Award winning actress." — Elizabeth Taylor "I've been married too many times. How terrible to change children's affiliations, their affections — to give them the insecurity of placing their trust in someone when maybe that someone won't be there next year." — Elizabeth Taylor "The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they're going to have some pretty annoying virtues." — Elizabeth Taylor "My heart…my mind… are broken. I loved Michael with all my soul and I can't imagine life without him. We had so much in common and we had such loving fun together." — Elizabeth Taylor