Elizabeth Taylor lived life to the fullest, on- and off-screen. Her messy personal life was more dramatic than some of her movies! Here are the best and worst show business moments of La Liz, who died at age 79 in 2011.
Unforgettable Roles
From her breakout role at age 12 in National Velvet, Liz displayed her wide range of talent, winning Oscars for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and BUtterfield 8, and earning nominations for Suddenly, Last Summer, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Raintree County. She also was outstanding in A Place in the Sun, Giant and even the critically panned Cleopatra. Liz played everything from a charming farm girl to a glamorous socialite to a desperate housewife to a model turned call girl to the Egyptian queen to a cave woman in The Flintstones!
The Marriage Of The Century
There’s little doubt that Richard Burton was the love of Liz’s life — she married the hard-drinking Welshman twice! Their jet-setting romance was filled with extreme passion, excess, scandal, turmoil and incredible drinking sessions. In the book Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century, authors Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger quote Liz as saying, “When you are in love and lust like that, you just grab it with both hands and ride out the storm.” Their lavish lifestyle and spending became a thing of legend. Burton once quipped, “I introduced Elizabeth to beer; she introduced me to Bulgari.”
House Of Taylor
For longer than six decades, Elizabeth dazzled the world with her undeniable beauty and lifestyle. La Liz’s most striking features were her amazing violet-tinted blue eyes, which were highlighted by double eyelashes from a genetic condition called distichiasis. It enhanced the fullness of her eyes. Liz highlighted her beauty with a skin care regimen, cosmetics and a signature red lipstick. Her White Diamonds perfume continues to be a bestseller in her House of Taylor brand that includes Gardenia, Violet Eyes and other fragrances. Said Liz, “I never face the day without perfume.”
Humanitarian Causes
From fighting AIDS to her love of animals to raising money to feed the hungry, Liz was a superstar. After her dear friend Rock Hudson died of AIDS at age 59 in 1985, Liz hosted the first-ever major AIDS fundraiser in conjunction with AIDS Project Los Angeles. Liz and a number of doctors and scientists formed the American Foundation for AIDS Research, and they used her celebrity to bring the issue to the mainstream media. She also supported Dogs Deserve Better, Project Angel Food and Hope for the Warriors, a nonprofit organization that provides assistance to combat-wounded service members and their families.
A True Survivor
Elizabeth endured a life filled with challenges, beginning with scoliosis she had at birth. She broke her back five times. In 1961, she contracted pneumonia shortly after filming BUtterfield 8, and was about an hour away from dying when an emergency tracheotomy saved her life. Liz also survived skin cancer on her leg and entered the Betty Ford Clinic to treat addictions to alcohol and prescription painkillers. In 1997, she underwent brain surgery to remove a tumor that triggered a seizure and stroke. In her later life, she had hip replacement surgery and heart issues. But through it all, she remained active and cheerful.
The Other Woman
Liz’s marriage to crooner Eddie Fisher was a scandal from the start. Fisher was still married to America’s Sweetheart Debbie Reynolds when the relationship started, and Liz later cheated on him with future husband Richard Burton. In fact according to Vanity Fair, Fisher once called his home and Burton answered. “What are you doing in my house?” Fisher asked. Burton replied, “What do you think I’m doing? I’m f**king your wife.” Another time, Liz claimed that Fisher held a gun to her head and told her, “I’m not going to kill you, I wouldn’t shoot you — you are much too pretty,” per SheKnows.
Dubious Roles
Liz was under contract to MGM before she famously was able to break free. She openly hated playing a prostitute with man trouble in BUtterfield 8 and stated she only made it because she was under contract. Ironically, the role won Liz her first Oscar. When asked about the success of the movie, she reportedly replied, “I still think it stinks.” Liz also was panned by some for her roles in Boom!, the bizarre experimental film The Driver’s Seat and even her cameo as Wilma Flintstone’s mother in the live-action movie The Flintstones.
Hotel Horror
Due to her love of animals and a large entourage, Liz was a nightmare at hotels! The critters she traveled with often caused damage to rugs, mattresses and other furnishings. The Plaza Hotel in New York once charged her $2,500 for “animal-related damages,” and a monkey she brought to a Dublin hotel knocked over vases and lights among its widespread destruction, per Vanity Fair. Once she inexplicably left lipstick marks on the ceiling of a room. She often traveled with 74 pieces of luggage, and while filming Cleopatra she brought along 300 dresses and 120 pairs of shoes!