Not every actor’s life becomes material for its own adaptation. Until the end of her days, the American star of the “Golden Age” worked and lived “in front of the camera,” yet never exhausted the public’s interest in her persona. The British magazine Empire included her name in its list of the hundred most fascinating biographies on the planet.
Elizabeth Taylor: The Beginning
In addition to three Oscars (two for Best Actress and one honorary), the actress with a multi-million dollar fortune was awarded the first-ever million-dollar salary in the history of the global film industry, the Order of the British Empire, and the title of Dame. She basked in luxury and fame, changed her faith and husbands, indulged in pleasures, and acknowledged her flaws. The main trait that “Hollywood’s Cleopatra” considered her defining characteristic was passion. In all her pursuits, the actress knew no bounds, achieving her goals with the same obsession with which she had tried to catch the unruly flames as a child.
Liz Taylor was born on February 27, 1932, in the capital of Great Britain. In pre-war London, her actress mother and art dealer father lived in comfort: Francis Taylor, an Irishman by blood, managed the affairs of an art gallery owned by his uncle, multimillionaire Howard Young (who also had a similar business in New York). The two children of this well-off couple had nannies, attended private schools, and enjoyed ponies and horseback riding lessons. After the family moved to the U.S., the charming girl began receiving film role offers at the age of nine (thanks to her mother’s professional connections in California), and Liz was already confidently holding the reins in every sense.
The new Beverly Hills resident signed her first contract with the “studio of stars” at the age of nine. She enjoyed the taste of success: her role in the film “Every Minute a Man is Born” paved the way for her next teenage film, National Velvet. In this cinematic tale about an English horse rider from a large family, the horse-loving girl from London played Velvet, who competed for the national cup with her horse named Pie. As a token of appreciation for her work, Liz received a gift from the studio: a horse with a flowing mane.
Elizabeth with her parents, 1947
Elizabeth Taylor: The Eyes
From then on, expensive gifts would rain down on the beauty in geometric progression. Each new success would elevate the young actress in her own eyes. And her eyes, due to rare mutations, were special: an unusual blue color with a lavender hue and a striking double row of thick lashes. Because of her “unnatural” allure, directors often made her wash off makeup during auditions, even though there was none on her beautiful face. Such unique natural features had never been seen even by seasoned makeup artists.
In her adult life, she wouldn’t need them: Taylor would do her own makeup before shoots, even inventing a unique look for her most famous film character—Cleopatra. The wide “hump” eyebrows and “cat eyes” that became popular among fashionistas in the mid-20th century were her contributions to the beauty industry. The star would spend an hour and a half on her everyday eye makeup and half an hour expertly lining her lips. As the actress said, she was captivated by the process itself, which often made her a favorite among reporters who had to wait for her.
However, the “too mature look” of the 10-year-old debutante prevented her from continuing her contract with the first studio, Universal. In contrast, the managers at MGM, with whom she worked from the age of 11, were not deterred by her “premature maturity.”
Initially, critics viewed Elizabeth Taylor’s amateur performances with restraint, but by 1951, after the release of the drama “A Place in the Sun,” they recognized the young actress’s professional capabilities. She had no formal training in acting; her innate observational skills helped her refine her craft. She learned stage techniques from talented partners, while her own “trump cards” in the profession were intuition, spontaneity, charisma, self-belief, and the gift of persuasion.
Elizabeth Taylor, 1951
Liz from the First Take
“I was an unparalleled manipulator,” the actress candidly described herself, confidently believing she was a gift of fate to everyone fortunate enough to work with her. At nine, she triumphed in earning more than her father; at fifteen, she cursed at a director in defense of her mother, who had been disrespected at the studio. On set, they tolerated the diva’s not-so-angelic character because of her ability to deliver her lines in just one take.
Then the actress nicknamed One Take Liz boldly accused the film moguls of using her for their own enrichment throughout her career. Meanwhile, Hollywood paid the “style icon” a million-dollar salary for a film that flopped at the box office, funded her personal PR, and gifted her haute couture wedding dresses.
Van Johnson and Taylor in the romantic drama “The Last Time I Saw Paris” (1954)
Family Happiness in Elizabeth Taylor’s Life
Her marriages became a parallel “resume” alongside her 65 roles. The actress had eight marriages and seven husbands: she married her co-star from “Cleopatra” twice.
At 23, the beauty tied the knot with 18-year-old Conrad Hilton, heir to a global hotel empire. The couple didn’t last a year: after losing their firstborn due to drunken abuse, Liz divorced nine months after their lavish wedding, leaving behind shares in the corporation and expensive gifts as mementos of her “first pancake.”
Her second husband, actor Michael Wilding, was 20 years her senior. He left his first wife for the young starlet and became the father of two sons, Michael and Christopher, in their new union. The marriage ended five years later at Taylor’s initiative.
Taylor with her third husband Mike Todd and their three children in 1957
Three days after her divorce, the actress married for the third time—to producer Mike Todd. The groom was 24 years older than Liz and met her expectations perfectly: he provided her not only with wealth but also with roles in blockbuster films that brought her global fame. In this marriage, a happy Taylor gave birth to a daughter, Liza. But a year later, the actress became a widow: during a storm, her beloved husband crashed in a light aircraft named after his wife and daughter—Lucky Liz.
Her fourth husband, the father of her three children, was close friend of the late Todd, singer Eddie Fisher. Their shared grief brought them together, and the comforter was there during the difficult days when the widow drowned her sorrow in alcohol. Fisher was married and had two children, but he chose to divorce for the sake of his new family. Todd and Fisher practiced Judaism, and Elizabeth also embraced this faith. The couple divorced after five happy years, enjoying all the trappings of a prosperous life. For his willingness to cater to his wife, the generous and attentive Eddie earned the nickname “henpecked” at the studio.
Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra
Then, the actress’s life was interrupted by her “karmic” partner, Richard Burton. He became the fifth and sixth choice for the star. Their romance ignited on the set of “Cleopatra.” Both were in relationships: the British actor even brought his wife and children to the shoot. Initially, he joked about Taylor’s amusing habit of swearing in front of the cameras, but the on-screen passions of the actors quickly turned into reality. A year later, the couple welcomed a daughter, and three years later, they tied the knot.
Richard Burton as Mark Antony with Taylor as Cleopatra in the film “Cleopatra” (1963)
On the bride’s yellow dress, there was a fitting gift from the groom—a $150,000 emerald brooch. Knowing his wife’s weakness for exclusive jewelry, Dick bought the best lots at auctions. His fantastic gifts for his beloved included the world’s largest pearl and famous diamonds worth $2 million.
During their time together, the actors starred in 11 films. This period inspired the productions “Burton and Taylor” and “Liz and Dick.” The couple’s loud arguments ended with passionate reconciliations involving extravagant gestures. Together, the couple earned $200 million a year and spent vast sums on a lavish lifestyle. They could order delicacies for dinner flown in from Rome or Paris. They stayed in hotels with a staff of 40 servants. After 10 years, the marriage of the two stars ended, but their co-dependent relationship filled with love and jealousy persisted even after the divorce. In 1974, there was a year-long break and a new attempt to mend the broken glass. However, there was no happy ending: Cleopatra’s second marriage also “died” after nine months.
“His Divorce—Her Divorce” (1973) – Taylor’s last film with Burton
Elizabeth Taylor’s Filmography
Under pressure from television competing for viewers, studios changed their repertoire policies, shifting to serious script material. This is how Taylor landed roles in films like “Giant,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” “Suddenly, Last Summer,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” “Butterfield 8” (her first Oscar), and “Cleopatra” (her second Oscar). Due to severe pneumonia, filming for the latter historical film was postponed multiple times. After rumors about the worsening of her condition and the possibility of the actress’s death, they began searching for a replacement. In photographs from that time, the actress’s neck was marred by a fresh scar from a tracheotomy. When all that was behind her and Taylor received another golden statuette, another nominee sarcastically commented on the event: “Tracheotomy won.”
After 45 years of acting (not counting a few late films at the end of her life), the actress transitioned to theater and public appearances. Elizabeth Taylor received her third Oscar in 1993 for her humanitarian work. At charity balls, she raised funds for the treatment of HIV-infected individuals, met with rulers and lawmakers, drawing attention to the issues of AIDS and patients’ rights. The star established a charity foundation to support people with this diagnosis and raised over $120 million for it. The actress’s personal jewelry collection exceeded the total amount of donations by tens of millions: after auctioning her jewels, they brought $156 million to charitable organizations.
Taylor testifying before the House Budget Committee on HIV/AIDS funding, 1990 (left – Nancy Pelosi)
In Conclusion…
Taylor’s penultimate husband was Senator John Warner: the famous wife helped him win elections, but at home, the couple had nothing to talk about. After six years, Taylor, who returned to drinking, ceased to be the politician’s wife. According to the actress, it was an existence with a closed mouth.
The list of the star’s husbands concluded with the “blessed nobody”—worker Larry Fortensky. They met during rehabilitation for alcoholism and celebrated their wedding at Neverland Ranch: for tabloids, it was an opportunity to mention the estate’s owner—Taylor’s friend Michael Jackson. The mismatched couple didn’t last long: the young man left his sick wife as soon as she began to have health problems.
The struggle for personal survival repeatedly proved relevant for Taylor. The actress made no secret of her alcohol and drug dependencies and publicly underwent rehabilitation. She had to endure three hip replacements. A brain tumor was removed. The actress battled skin, lung, and heart cancer. Despite a heart operation and constant medical supervision, on March 23, 2011, the heart of 79-year-old Elizabeth Taylor stopped. The rabbi mentioned her name, under which the star was known in Judaism: Elisheva Rachel.
Taylor’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the days following her death in 2011.
Experts from the American Film Institute ranked Taylor seventh in the top ten Hollywood stars. The actress herself was satisfied with her place in life. In one of her last interviews, the legend thanked God for every moment of her life.
