Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor was a British-American actress, a fashion icon and humanitarian. Elizabeth Taylor at the time of her death had an estimated $600 million in net worth. She was a very famous actress between 1950 and 1960.
Lizzy started her career as a child actress in the 1940s. She remained a very successful and important public figure until her demise in 2011. Behind the cameras, her life was one of a roller-coaster.
Early Life
Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was born in 1932 in London, England. She was born to art dealer Francis Lenn Taylor and retired actress Sara Sothern. Her family relocated to Los Angeles owing to fear of second world war breaking out in Europe.
Lizzy attended Hawthorne School. Her beautiful looks led to her family encouraging her to take a career in acting. Taylor was offered contracts with MGM and Universal Pictures in 1941.
Taylor’s maiden appearance was in 1942 in “There’s One Born Every Minute”. The heavens smiled on her when she got a role later that year in “Lassie Come Home”. She was handed an initial three months trial contract only for it to be extended to a seven-year contract.
Lizzy was cast in the horse-racing drama “National Velvet” at the age of twelve. Her success catapulted her to stardom status to the extent that she was being compared with Hollywood stars like Lana Turner and Ava Gardner.
Lizzy took more matured roles later on in her career. Some of the movies she featured in as an adult include; “Conspirator”, “Father of the Bride”, among others. She received critical acclaim in “A Place in the Sun”. The film got six Oscars.
Lizzy featured in 20th Century Fox’s “Cleopatra” alongside future husband Richard Burton. She was the first actress to be paid $1 million for a role. In 1966, Taylor and Richard both featured in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”. Taylor earned a second Oscar for Best Actress as a result of her performance in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”.
Personal Life
Taylor’s adult years were fraught with scandalous affairs. She was in and out of eight different marriages.
Taylor was a staunch activist and philanthropist. She helped raise awareness about HIV/AIDS.
Death
Taylor’s life was marred with injuries and illnesses. She was a heavy smoker, addicted to alcohol and pain killers. Taylor passed at the age of 79 in 2011 after being hospitalized for congestive failure.
