5 facts about Elizbeth Taylor
Here are five facts about hollywood heavyweight Elizabeth Taylor.
1. A beautiful soul, with an illustrious career
This Hollywood legend was married 8 times (twice to Richard Burton), starred in 50 movies and won 2 Oscars. With the fifth anniversary of her death coming up on 23rd March, here are 18 reasons we still love Liz. In her last interview in Harper’s Bazaar Taylor said, “I never planned to acquire a lot of jewels or a lot of husbands. I have been supremely lucky in my life in that I have known great love, and of course, I am the temporary custodian of some incredible and beautiful things.”
2. Royal favour
With dual citizen status to America and England, Taylor was named a Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE) during a visit to the UK in 2000. She joined a short, but illustrious, list of entertainers to be given damehoods, including Julie Andrews, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Vanessa Redgrave.
3. A child star
Discovered by talents scouts at the tender age of 10, Elizabeth Taylor first wowed audiences in the 1942 film, There’s One Born Every Minute. Her performance was so captivating that directors scrambled to secure her in their latest projects. In 1943 she played Priscilla in Lassie, Come Home, and the following year she completed two films, Jane Eyre and National Velvet. Life With Father (1947), A Date with Judy (1948) and Little Women (1949) were the final three big-screen performances Elizabeth would make as a ‘child’.
4. Movies and men
Appearing in 50 films, Taylor enjoyed working with co-stars of the highest calibre. Her leading mean included Rock Hudson and James Dean (Giant, 1956), Montgomery Clift (A Place in the Sun, 1951, Raintree Country, 1957 and Suddenly, Last Summer, 1959), Paul Newman (Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, 1958) and on-again-off-again husband Richard Burton she met on the set of Cleopatra in 1963. She and Burton shared the screen in 14 feature-length films.
5. Tabloid film
Taylor once told the gossip columnist Liz Smith, "My fame has been ridiculous. I often wondered why it persisted. But once I became involved with AIDS, I blessed every lousy photograph, all the fat jokes, every untrue rumour, every true rumour. Les scandales! My crazy fame allowed me to do this work. It all finally made sense."
Republished with permission of Wyza.com.au.