On Wednesday, March 23, 2011, one of the great female actresses of the 20^th century, Elizabeth Taylor died from complications caused by congestive heart failure at the age of 79. Taylor was well known by her seductive on-screen persona, bold personality, her charity work, her many successful films such as Cleopatra and National Velvet, her many failed marriages, and just for being beautiful inside and out.

    Taylor was born February 27^th, 1932 to American parents in London, England but moved to Los Angeles, California in the late 1930’s due to World War II erupting in Europe. Even as a child, Taylor had beautiful looks that caught the eyes of both family and Hollywood talent scouts. At the age of 10, Taylor took a screen test with Universal Studios and debuted in the film, There’s One Born Every Minute.  After the film, Universal dropped Taylor from their studios, but she was soon picked up by MGM Studios, the studio that would give her stardom.

    Her second film, this time with MGM Studios, was the children’s classic, Lassie Comes Home. Taylor then starred in the Oscar-winning classic, National Velvet which also starred other famed actors; Mickey Rooney and Angela Lansbury. She then became the poster child of MGM. MGM placed Taylor in numerous award-winning films like Life with Father and Little Women. Soon Taylor began to outgrow children’s movies and was assigned more adult roles such as Father of the Bride, A Place in the Sun, The Last Time I Saw Paris, Ivanhoe and Elephant Walk. By the 1950’s, Taylor was the most talked about actress in Hollywood.

    In 1950, Taylor married hotel heir Conrad “Nicky” Hilton Jr. (Hilton was also great uncle to tabloid celebrity, Paris Hilton) Hilton was very cruel to Taylor so she divorced him that year. Then Taylor married British actor, Michael Wilding in 1952 and had two sons: Christopher Edward Wilding and Michael Wilding Junior. In 1956, Taylor played in her next big hit, Giant. Taylor divorced Wilding in 1957 because she was having an affair with her next husband, producer Michael Todd. Todd and Taylor were the couple of the 50’s and had a daughter named Liza Todd Burton. In the 1957, Taylor’s career kept rising and rising with her film, Raintree Country. In 1958, she had another film, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, but her happiness was ended when Taylor’s blissful marriage ended with Todd’s devastating death from a plane crash.  

    Taylor was devastated, but she went from widow to tabloid home wrecker when she had an affair with her best friend, (Debbie Reynolds)  husband, Eddie Fisher (father of the famous actress, Carrie Fisher who played the famed role as Leia from Star Wars and Jake Blues’ dumped fiancée from Blues Brothers). Fisher left Reynolds for Taylor and married Taylor that year, even though the scandal practically ruined his career. Seven months after the wedding, Taylor starred in Suddenly Last Summer along with famed actress, Katherine Hepburn. Then, Fisher and Taylor starred together in 1960 film, Butterfield 8 which won Taylor her first Oscar.

    In 1963, Taylor starred in her most famed film the historical epic, Cleopatra. Taylor then asked MGM for the biggest sum paid to an actress in history. Taylor was paid one million dollars for the part. Then Taylor was involved in the most famed Hollywood affair in history, Fisher learned that Taylor was having an affair with British actor, Richard Burton who also played in Cleopatra. Taylor starred in her next hit, The V.I.P.s in 1963 alongside her fiancée, Burton, Maggie Smith, Orson Welles, and British comedy legend, David Frost. In 1964, Taylor and Burton married. They would have a child together, Maria Burton. In 1965, the two starred in The Sandpiper. Taylor and Burton starred in her second Oscar win, Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Wolf? in 1966. Taylor and Burton starred in the 1967 classic, The Taming of the Shrew. But after Taming of the Shrew, their films were notoriously b-movies, such as Boom! in 1968, Doctor Faustus in 1967, and The Comedians also in 1967. Taylor and Burton divorced in 1974, briefly remarried in 1975, but divorced again. Taylor became more of a celebrity than a movie star by late 1970’s.

    In 1976, Taylor married to US Senator John Warner IV, but the marriage didn’t last, the marriage left Taylor feeling unhappy with her life. She began to have alcohol problems, and she began to eat too much. Her weight gain was the butt-end of Joan Rivers’ jokes. But she went to rehab and swapped her life around. Taylor become an activist for gay rights and AIDS awareness after long time friend, Rock Hudson died of AIDS in 1985. Taylor also had a role in the popular TV show, General Hospital as Helena Cassadine. Taylor developed perfumes and scents in the 1990’s. Taylor starred in her last film in 1994, which was The Flintstones as Wilma’s mother, Pearl Slaghoople.

    Taylor will be remembered for her famous acting, her magnificent beauty, and her amazing and caring personality. Rest in Peace Elizabeth Taylor.