A woman of beauty and stardom is what best describes Elizabeth Taylor. Born on February 27, 1932 in London, England, she was the younger of two children. Her father, Francis Taylor, was an art dealer while her mother, Sara, was a former actress. From her early years as a child star, she went on to become one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Age. As one of the world’s most famous film stars, Elizabeth Taylor was recognized for her acting ability and for her glamorous lifestyle, beauty and distinctive violet eye.
A family friend with connections at Universal Studios suggested a screen test for the little beauty. Universal signed her to a contract, but dropped her after one film. At age ten, she signed with MGM. Her first film there was Lassie, Come Home (1943). Her breakout role, however, came in 1944 with National Velvet, in a role Elizabeth Taylor spent four months working to get. The film subsequently turned to be a huge hit that pulled in more than $4 million and made the 12-year-old actress a huge star. Other early films included: The Courage of Lassie, Life with Father, A Date with Judy, Julia Misbehaves, and a part in 1949′s Conspirator that pushed her into adult roles at the tender age of 16.
Elizabeth Taylor’s stardom peaked in the early ’50s with some major roles, many of which were showcases for her startling beauty. At age 18 she played opposite Spencer Tracy in Father of the Bride (1950). In 1954, she replaced Vivien Leigh in Elephant Walk. Here, she took on the role of a plantation owner’s wife who is in love with the farm’s manager.
After 1956′s Giant, with Rock Hudson and James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor made Raintree Country, for which she received her first Academy Award nomination. She delivered a riveting performance in the drama A Place In The Sun. Two years later, she sizzled on the big screen in the film adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The following year, she starred in another William classic, Suddenly Last Summer. Elizabeth Taylor finally won the Oscar for her role as a call girl in Butterfield (1960). After her contract with MGM ended, she signed with Twentieth Century Fox in 1960 for Cleopatra at the then-unheard of salary of $1 million.
Elizabeth Taylor’s private life has been media fodder since the late ’50s. An often-asked trivia question is the names of her husbands in order. They are Conrad “Nicky” Hilton (1950-1951), Michael Wilding (1952-1957), Mike Todd (1957-1958), Eddie Fisher (1959-1964), Richard Burton (1964-1974, remarried 1975-1976), John Warner (1976-1982) and Larry Fortensky (1991-1996).
Elizabeth Taylor starred in the 1980 mystery film The Mirror Crack’d based on an Agatha Christie novel. In 1985, she played movie gossip columnist Louella Parsons in the TV film Malice in Wonderland opposite Jane Alexander, who played Hedda Hopper. Elizabeth Taylor appeared in the miniseries North and South. Her last theatrical film was 1994′s The Flintstones. She appeared on a number of television series, including the soap operas General Hospital and All My Children, as well as the animated series The Simpsons- once as the voice of Maggie Simpson.
Elizabeth Taylor died at the age of 79 on March 23, 2011. She has been called “the greatest movie star of all,” writes biographer William J. Mann. She proved that she was more than a beautiful face, though she will always be remembered for her stunning looks and her vibrant screen presence from her childhood films to her soap opera roles.
Titanic
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