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Elizabeth Taylor

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Elizabeth Taylor was one of the most famous movie stars in history.

Elizabeth Taylor - 1952 portrait
Elizabeth Taylor - 1952 portrait

She was a legendary actress in classical Hollywood cinema. People often called her a screen legend. In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked her seventh on its list of greatest female legends. She was born on February 27, 1932, in London, England. Her parents were American citizens from Kansas. They ran an art gallery on Bond Street in London. Because of her parents, she had dual British and American citizenship.

Taylor's path to stardom began when she was a young child. Her family moved to Los Angeles in 1939. They moved because they were afraid of a coming war in Europe.

National-Velvet-1
National-Velvet-1

She made her acting debut in a 1942 film called There's One Born Every Minute. After that, she signed with MGM, a famous movie studio. She became a major star at age twelve in National Velvet. For that role, she had to practice riding horses. The studio even waited for her to grow an inch or two. They wanted her to be the right height for the part.

As she grew up, Taylor moved from teen roles to adult roles.

Father of the bride 1950 promo
Father of the bride 1950 promo

She starred in the comedy Father of the Bride in 1950. She also acted in many successful dramas and adventures. In 1952, she was in the historical film Ivanhoe. She won a Golden Globe for her work in Suddenly, Last Summer in 1959. Later, she won an Academy Award for the film Butterfield 8 in 1960. She was the highest-paid movie star in the world during the 1960s.

Taylor and Burton Cleopatra
Taylor and Burton Cleopatra

Her most famous role was playing Cleopatra in 1963.

Taylor's personal life was often in the news.

Taylor-Burton-Sandpiper
Taylor-Burton-Sandpiper

She married many times, including six marriages. She famously married her co-star Richard Burton. People called them "Liz and Dick." They starred in eleven films together. One of those was the movie Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? She won her second Academy Award for that performance. Even though her private life was sometimes difficult, she stayed a very famous public figure. She even launched her own perfume brand after Sophia Loren.

In her later years, Taylor used her fame to help people.

Nancy Pelosi and Elizabeth Taylor Testifying Before the House Budget Committee on HIV-AIDS Funding (5978837887) (cropped)
Nancy Pelosi and Elizabeth Taylor Testifying Before the House Budget Committee on HIV-AIDS Funding (5978837887) (cropped)

She was one of the first celebrities to help with HIV/AIDS activism. She helped start the American Foundation for AIDS Research in 1985. She also helped found the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation in 1991. Because of her work helping others, she received the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2001.

Elizabeth Taylor at Neiman Marcus store, Dallas
Elizabeth Taylor at Neiman Marcus store, Dallas

She passed away on March 23, 2011. Her life showed how a person can use fame to do good.

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🖼️ Images & Media (22)
File:Two-year old Elizabeth Taylor, mother Sara Sothern, and brother Howard, 1934.jpg
Two-year old Elizabeth Taylor, mother...
File:National-Velvet-1.jpg
National-Velvet-1.jpg
File:Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Powell in A Date with Judy.jpg
Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Powell in A...
File:Father of the bride 1950 promo.jpg
Father of the bride 1950 promo.jpg
File:Elizabeth Taylor - 1952 portrait.jpg
Elizabeth Taylor - 1952 portrait.jpg
File:The Last Time I Saw Paris 1.jpg
The Last Time I Saw Paris 1.jpg
File:Taylor - Hudson - Giant.jpg
Taylor - Hudson - Giant.jpg
File:Cat on a Hot Tin Roof13.jpg
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof13.jpg
File:Taylor and Burton Cleopatra.jpg
Taylor and Burton Cleopatra.jpg
File:Taylor-Burton-Sandpiper.jpg
Taylor-Burton-Sandpiper.jpg
File:Liz Taylor en Richard Burton tijdens persconferentie op Schiphol betreft film , Bestanddeelnr 917-6937.jpg
Liz Taylor en Richard Burton tijdens...
File:Elizabeth Taylor 1971.jpg
Elizabeth Taylor 1971.jpg

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