Elizabeth Taylor: The Life Story Behind Hollywood's Violet Eyes

Elizabeth Taylor had violet eyes, and she was the most beautiful woman in the world, and she was also one of the greatest actresses who ever lived. She was a child star who became a legend, a woman who played Cleopatra, who won two Academy Awards, who was married eight times to seven men, and who became a humanitarian who changed the way the world thought about AIDS, raising hundreds of millions of dollars and founding a foundation that still saves lives today. She was a star, and she was a fighter, and she was one of the most famous people on earth for more than sixty years.

She was born on 27 February 1932 in London, England, the daughter of American parents, and she grew up in a world of art and theatre, a beautiful child who was discovered by Hollywood at the age of nine, and who became a star before she was a teenager, in National Velvet, a film about a girl and a horse that made her a household name and that showed that she was not just beautiful, she was talented, with a depth and a power that was rare in a child actor, and that would only grow as she grew up.

Her career took her from Lassie Come Home to A Place in the Sun, to Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, to Cleopatra, the most expensive film ever made, to Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, for which she won her second Oscar, playing a woman who is angry, drunk, and broken, a performance that was raw, fearless, and unforgettable, and that showed that she was not just a beauty, she was an actress of extraordinary power, a woman who could play anything, and who could make it feel real.

She died on 23 March 2011, at the age of 79, in Los Angeles, of congestive heart failure, after a long and extraordinary life, and she left behind a body of work that is a testament to beauty, to talent, and to the power of using fame to do good, because her humanitarian work, for AIDS, is as much a part of her legacy as her films, and it is a legacy that will never be forgotten. This is the full life story of Elizabeth Taylor, the violet-eyed legend, and the woman who was more than a movie star.

A Beautiful Child in London

Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was born on 27 February 1932 in Hampstead, London, England, and she was the daughter of Francis Lenn Taylor, an art dealer, and Sara Sothern Taylor, a stage actress, both Americans who were living in London at the time. She grew up in a world of art and theatre, a beautiful child with violet eyes, dark hair, and a double row of eyelashes, a genetic mutation that made her eyes look even more striking, and she was a child who was noticed, by everyone who saw her, because she was beautiful in a way that was almost unreal, and because she had a presence that was far beyond her years.

Her family moved to Los Angeles in 1939, just before the Second World War, and she was discovered by Hollywood, appearing in her first film, There’s One Born Every Minute, in 1942, at the age of ten, and then in Lassie Come Home in 1943, playing a young girl who loves a dog, a film that was a success and that showed that she was not just a pretty face, she was a natural actress, with a sincerity and a depth that was rare in a child, and that made audiences love her, and that made Hollywood take notice.

She attended school on the studio lot, as many child actors did, and she was educated by tutors, but she was also educated by life, because she was a star before she was a teenager, and she was living in a world of adults, of cameras, and of fame, a world that was both exciting and difficult, and that shaped her for the rest of her life, making her both a legend and a woman who knew the price of fame, a price she would pay, again and again, throughout her life.

National Velvet and the Child Star

In 1944, at the age of twelve, Taylor starred in National Velvet, playing Velvet Brown, a young girl who trains a horse, Pie, to win the Grand National, one of the most famous horse races in the world, in a film that was a huge success, earning millions of dollars and making Taylor a star, a child star who was loved by audiences around the world, and who was, at twelve years old, one of the most famous people on earth, a girl with a horse, and a dream, and a performance that was honest, heartfelt, and deeply moving.

National Velvet was not just a children’s film. It was a film about dreams, about determination, and about a girl who refuses to give up, and Taylor played Velvet with a sincerity that made audiences believe in her, and that made the film a classic, a film that is still loved today, by children and by adults, because it is about the power of believing in yourself, and Taylor, at twelve, showed that she had that power, both on screen and off, a power that would carry her through a long and difficult life.

After National Velvet, she was a star, and she was under contract to MGM, the biggest studio in Hollywood, and she made a series of films as a teenager, including The Courage of Lassie and Jane Eyre, in which she played the young Jane, and she was growing up in public, a beautiful teenager who was becoming a beautiful woman, and who was learning, the hard way, what it meant to be a star, to be watched, to be judged, and to be loved by millions of people she had never met.

A Place in the Sun and the Adult Star

In 1951, Taylor starred in A Place in the Sun, opposite Montgomery Clift, playing Angela Vickers, a beautiful socialite who falls in love with a poor young man, played by Clift, in a film that was a critical and commercial success, earning millions of dollars and winning six Academy Awards, and that made Taylor an adult star, a woman who was not just beautiful but who was also a serious actress, with a depth and a power that had grown with her, and that made audiences take her seriously, as an actress, not just as a beauty.

The film was directed by George Stevens, and it was a drama about class, about love, and about ambition, and Taylor’s performance was a revelation, playing a woman who is beautiful, rich, and in love, and who is also vulnerable, and who is caught in a tragedy that she does not understand, a performance that was subtle, nuanced, and deeply moving, and that showed that she was one of the finest young actresses in Hollywood, a woman who could play anything, and who could make it feel real.

A Place in the Sun also marked the beginning of a lifelong friendship with Montgomery Clift, who became one of her closest friends, a man she loved deeply, and whose death in 1966 devastated her, and it is a reminder that behind the glamour, there was a real person, a woman who loved her friends, who was loyal to them, and who felt their losses deeply, a woman who was, for all her fame, a human being, with a heart that could be broken, and that was broken, many times, throughout her life.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and the Great Performances

In 1958, Taylor starred in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, playing Maggie the Cat, a woman who is married to Brick, played by Paul Newman, a man who is distant, alcoholic, and grieving, in a film based on Tennessee Williams’s play, and it was a performance that was powerful, sexy, and deeply human, playing a woman who wants to be loved, who fights for her marriage, and who refuses to give up, a performance that earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, and that showed that she was one of the greatest actresses of her generation.

She also starred in Suddenly, Last Summer in 1959, playing Catherine Holly, a young woman who has witnessed a terrible event, in a film that was controversial, dark, and deeply psychological, and that earned her another Oscar nomination, and in Butterfield 8 in 1960, playing Gloria Wandrous, a call girl who falls in love, a performance that won her the Academy Award for Best Actress, her first Oscar, although she was in hospital at the time, recovering from a near-fatal illness, and she accepted the award with a humility and a grace that made audiences love her even more.

These performances, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, show Taylor at the peak of her powers, a woman who was beautiful, talented, and fearless, who played complex, difficult women, and who made them feel real, because she brought her own experience, her own pain, and her own strength to every role, and that is why her performances are still powerful today, more than sixty years later, because they are honest, they are human, and they are unforgettable.

Cleopatra and the Most Expensive Film

In 1963, Taylor starred in Cleopatra, playing the Queen of Egypt, opposite Richard Burton, who played Mark Antony, in a film that was the most expensive ever made at the time, costing more than 44 million dollars, a sum that was unheard of, and that nearly bankrupted the studio, 20th Century Fox, and that became a legend in Hollywood, not just for its cost but for the love affair between Taylor and Burton, who fell in love on set, even though both were married to other people, and whose romance became one of the most famous in the world.

Cleopatra was a huge, epic film, with thousands of extras, with elaborate sets, and with costumes that were opulent, and Taylor, as Cleopatra, was magnificent, a queen who was beautiful, powerful, and ruthless, and who commanded the screen, in every scene, with a presence that was regal, and with a performance that was both glamorous and deeply human, playing a woman who is a ruler, a lover, and a mother, and who is caught in a tragedy of politics and passion, a performance that is still remembered today, as one of her most iconic.

The film was a commercial success, but it was also a scandal, because of the affair between Taylor and Burton, and because of its cost, and it marked a turning point in Taylor’s life, because she left her husband, Eddie Fisher, to be with Burton, and she married Burton in 1964, beginning a relationship that would last, on and off, for more than a decade, a relationship that was passionate, tumultuous, and deeply loving, and that produced two marriages, two divorces, and some of the most famous jewellery in the world, including the Taylor-Burton Diamond, a 69-carat stone that Burton bought for her, and that became a symbol of their love.

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and the Second Oscar

In 1966, Taylor starred in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, playing Martha, a woman who is angry, drunk, and broken, married to George, played by Richard Burton, in a film based on Edward Albee’s play, and it was a performance that was raw, fearless, and unforgettable, playing a woman who is cruel, vulnerable, and deeply human, a woman who fights with her husband, who drinks, who screams, and who, in the end, shows a tenderness that is heartbreaking, a performance that won her the Academy Award for Best Actress, her second Oscar, and that is widely regarded as one of the greatest performances in the history of cinema.

The film was directed by Mike Nichols, in his directorial debut, and it was a bold, controversial film, because it was about a marriage that is falling apart, about two people who hurt each other, and who love each other, and who cannot live with or without each other, and Taylor and Burton, who were married in real life, brought their own experience to the roles, playing a couple who are both in love and in pain, and that authenticity made the film powerful, and made it a classic, a film that is still studied today, as an example of great acting, and of great filmmaking.

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? showed that Taylor was not just a beauty, she was an actress of extraordinary power, a woman who could play a character who is unattractive, who is drunk, who is cruel, and who could make audiences love her, and understand her, and feel for her, and that is a gift that few actresses possess, the gift of making an unlikable character likable, and of making a difficult woman human, and Taylor did it, in a performance that will never be forgotten, and that is why she is one of the greatest actresses who ever lived.

Eight Marriages and the Love Life

Taylor was married eight times to seven men, a record that made her famous, and that made her a symbol of romantic passion, and of a woman who loved deeply, and who was not afraid to love again, even after heartbreak. Her husbands were Conrad Hilton Jr., Michael Wilding, Mike Todd, Eddie Fisher, Richard Burton (twice), John Warner, and Larry Fortensky, and each marriage was different, and each taught her something, about love, about loss, and about herself, and she was honest about her marriages, saying that she was a romantic, and that she believed in love, and that she would keep trying, until she found the right man, or until she stopped believing, and she never stopped believing, even after eight marriages.

Her most famous marriage was to Richard Burton, whom she married twice, first in 1964 and again in 1975, and who was the love of her life, a man she adored, and who adored her, and whose death in 1984 devastated her, and she mourned him for the rest of her life, saying that he was the great love of her life, and that she would never love anyone the way she loved him. Their relationship was passionate, tumultuous, and deeply loving, and it produced some of the most famous moments in Hollywood history, including the Taylor-Burton Diamond, and the films they made together, including Cleopatra and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, films that are classics, in part because of their chemistry, which was real, and which was electric.

Her marriages were often mocked by the press, and she was often criticised for them, but she did not apologise, and she did not hide, and she lived her life openly, with a honesty that is rare in Hollywood, and that is part of why she is respected, because she was herself, always, and she loved who she loved, and she did not care what the world thought, and that is a form of courage, and a form of freedom, that is worth admiring, even if her choices were not always wise.

AIDS Activism and the Humanitarian

In the 1980s, Taylor became a humanitarian, and she became one of the first celebrities to speak out about AIDS, at a time when the disease was stigmatised, when people were afraid to talk about it, and when the government was slow to act. She co-founded the American Foundation for AIDS Research, amfAR, in 1985, with Dr. Mathilde Krim, and she founded the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation in 1991, and she raised hundreds of millions of dollars for AIDS research, prevention, and care, and she did it with a passion and a determination that was extraordinary, because she had lost friends to AIDS, including her friend Rock Hudson, who died in 1985, and she was determined to do something about it.

She was not just a fundraiser. She was an activist, who spoke out, who lobbied Congress, who visited hospitals, and who held the hands of people dying of AIDS, at a time when many people were afraid to touch them, and she did it with a compassion that was real, and that made a difference, because she used her fame to bring attention to a disease that was being ignored, and she used her voice to speak for people who had no voice, and that is a legacy that is as important as her films, and that will be remembered long after her films are watched.

Her humanitarian work earned her many honours, including the Presidential Citizens Medal, the Legion of Honour from France, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy, and she was recognised as one of the great humanitarians of her time, a woman who used her fame to do good, and who changed the way the world thought about AIDS, and about the people who lived with it, and that is a legacy that will never fade, and that is a part of her story that is as important as Cleopatra or Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Death in 2011 and the Legacy

Elizabeth Taylor died on 23 March 2011, at the age of 79, in Los Angeles, of congestive heart failure, after a long and extraordinary life, and her death was mourned around the world, because she was a legend, and because her films were classics, and because her humanitarian work had saved lives, and because she had been one of the most famous people on earth for more than sixty years, a woman whose violet eyes, whose beauty, and whose talent had captivated the world, from the time she was a child, until the day she died.

Her legacy is secure, because she is widely regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of cinema, and her performances in National Velvet, A Place in the Sun, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Cleopatra, and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? are classics that are still watched today, and her humanitarian work, for AIDS, is a legacy that will save lives for generations, and her life is an inspiration to anyone who wants to use their fame, their talent, and their voice to make the world better, because she did, and she did it with a passion and a determination that will never be forgotten.

Today, Elizabeth Taylor is remembered as the violet-eyed legend, a woman who was beautiful, talented, and brave, and who was more than a movie star, because she was a humanitarian, a fighter, and a woman who loved deeply, and who lived fully, and who left the world a better place than she found it. She was a legend, and she always will be, because her story is one of beauty, talent, and a life lived with courage, and it is a story that will be told for as long as films are watched, and for as long as people fight against AIDS.

Why Taylor Still Matters

Taylor still matters because she was more than a movie star. She was a humanitarian who changed the way the world thought about AIDS, and who raised hundreds of millions of dollars, and who saved lives, and that is a legacy that goes beyond cinema, and that will last for generations, because the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation still operates today, and it still helps people living with HIV and AIDS, and that is a gift that will never fade, and that is a part of her story that is as important as any film she made.

She also matters because she was a woman who lived on her own terms, who married eight times, who loved deeply, and who did not apologise for who she was, and that is a powerful example for any woman who feels pressure to conform, to be quiet, or to be someone she is not, because Taylor shows that you can be yourself, and you can be great, and you can be loved, even if your choices are not always understood, and that is a lesson that is still relevant today, in a world that still judges women for their choices.

Today, when the world feels divided and unjust, Elizabeth Taylor is a reminder that one person can make a difference, that fame can be used for good, and that love, in all its forms, is worth fighting for, and that is a legacy that will last, long after her films are watched, because her life is an example, and examples matter, and Taylor’s example is one of the finest there is, a woman who was beautiful, talented, and brave, and who used all three to make the world better.

My Take:

What I admire about Elizabeth Taylor is that she was more than a movie star. She was a humanitarian who changed the way the world thought about AIDS, raising hundreds of millions of dollars and founding a foundation that still saves lives today. That is a rare thing, because many stars use their fame for themselves, but Taylor used hers for others, and she did it at a time when AIDS was stigmatised, when people were afraid to talk about it, and when it took courage to speak out. That courage is part of why she is a legend, and why her legacy is about more than films.

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is the film I think about most, because it is a masterpiece, and Taylor’s performance is at its heart. She played Martha, a woman who is angry, drunk, and broken, and she did it with a rawness and a fearlessness that is unforgettable. I think about the scene where she screams at George, and I am moved, because it is a moment of pure emotion, a woman who is in pain, and who is not hiding it, and that honesty is powerful, and it is why her performance won her a second Oscar, and why it is still studied today.

Cleopatra is a film I love, because it is epic, glamorous, and romantic, and Taylor, as the Queen of Egypt, is magnificent, a woman who is beautiful, powerful, and ruthless, and who commands the screen in every scene. I think about the scene where she enters Rome, in a golden chariot, and I am dazzled, because it is a moment of pure spectacle, a queen arriving in style, and Taylor plays it with a regal confidence that is unforgettable, and that is why Cleopatra is one of her most iconic roles.

Her eight marriages are a part of her story that is often mocked, but I do not mock them, because I see a woman who believed in love, and who kept trying, even after heartbreak, and that takes courage. She was a romantic, and she loved deeply, and she was not afraid to love again, and that is a quality that is worth admiring, even if her choices were not always wise, because love is worth fighting for, and Taylor fought for it, again and again, and that is a beautiful thing.

The lesson I take from Taylor is that fame can be used for good. She used her fame to fight AIDS, to raise money, and to save lives, and she did it with a passion that was extraordinary. If you are famous, use your fame to help others, the way Elizabeth Taylor did, and if you are not famous, use whatever you have, your voice, your time, your money, to make the world better, because that is what Taylor did, and that is a lesson worth remembering.

I also think about her violet eyes, because they were famous, and they were beautiful, and they were a part of her legend, but they were not the most important thing about her. The most important thing was her talent, her courage, and her compassion, and those are the things that made her a legend, not her eyes, and that is a reminder that beauty is not enough, and that what matters is what you do with your beauty, and with your talent, and Taylor did a great deal with both.

Her friendship with Montgomery Clift is a part of her story I love, because they were close friends, and she loved him deeply, and his death devastated her, and she was loyal to him, in life and in death, and that loyalty is a quality that matters, in Hollywood and in life, because it shows that behind the glamour, there was a real person, a woman who loved her friends, and who stood by them, and that is a beautiful thing, and it is a part of why she is respected.

Finally, I believe Elizabeth Taylor was one of the greatest actresses who ever lived, and her films are classics that will be watched for as long as films are watched. She was beautiful, she was talented, and she was brave, and her story is one of beauty, talent, and a life lived with courage. She will always be remembered as the violet-eyed legend, and as the woman who was more than a movie star.

One more thing I want to say is that her AIDS foundation still operates today, and it still helps people living with HIV and AIDS, and that is a legacy that will last for generations. She did not just raise money. She changed the way the world thought about AIDS, and she did it with a compassion that was real, and that made a difference, and that is a gift that will never fade, and that is a part of her story that I am grateful to have learned about.

When I think about London, her birthplace, I think about how far she travelled, from a beautiful child in Hampstead to the most famous woman in the world, and how much she achieved. She was a girl who was discovered by Hollywood at nine, and who became a legend, and that is a story that inspires anyone who dreams of being a star, because it shows that dreams can come true, even if they come with a price, and Taylor paid that price, and she did it with grace.

I will end by saying that watching Elizabeth Taylor act was a privilege, and I am grateful to have seen her films. She was beautiful, she was talented, and she was brave, and those three things together make a great actress. She is Velvet Brown, she is Martha, she is Cleopatra, and she is Elizabeth Taylor, the violet-eyed legend, and she will always be remembered as such.

There is a final thought I want to leave with, and it is about the line from Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, where Martha says that she is not afraid, and that is a lie, because she is afraid, and that is a lesson about honesty, about admitting that we are afraid, and about being human. Taylor delivered that line with a rawness that has stayed with me, because it is a lesson about life, about love, and about being brave enough to admit that we are afraid.

And if you have never seen Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, watch it, because it is one of the great films of all time, and Taylor’s performance is at its heart. Watch it for the story, for Richard Burton, and for Taylor, who plays Martha with a fearlessness that is unforgettable. That is the Elizabeth Taylor I will remember: not just the actress, but the woman, who was beautiful, talented, and brave, and who will never be forgotten.

One last memory: the image of her as Cleopatra, entering Rome in a golden chariot, with a crown on her head, and a confidence that is regal, and that is unforgettable. That image is iconic, and it is beautiful, and it is the image that will define her forever. She was Cleopatra, and she was Elizabeth Taylor, and she was the violet-eyed legend.

Her legacy will live on through her films, through her foundation, and through the generations of people she inspired, who saw her performances and wanted to be brave the way she was brave. That is a fitting legacy for a woman who defined beauty and talent, and who did it with a courage and a compassion that will never be forgotten. She is gone, but her work remains, and her name will be remembered as one of the greats.

Finally, I want to say thank you, Elizabeth Taylor, for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, for Cleopatra, and for a life lived with beauty, talent, and courage. You were a great actress, and you were a great humanitarian, and the world is a better place because you were in it. Your films are still here, your foundation is still here, and your example is still here, and that is a life that mattered, and a life that will never be forgotten.

And one more thing: if you are a woman, be like Taylor, because she is the woman every woman deserves to be, a woman who is herself, who loves deeply, and who uses her voice to help others. Be Taylor, the way Elizabeth Taylor was Taylor, and the world will be a better place for it, because the world needs more women like her, who are beautiful, talented, and brave.

There is a last lesson in her life that I carry with me, and it is this: use your fame for good, because fame is a gift, and Taylor used hers to fight AIDS, and to save lives, and that is a lesson worth remembering, and it is one I will carry with me, always, because the world needs more people like Elizabeth Taylor, who use what they have to make the world better.

One final thought: her two Oscars, for Butterfield 8 and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, are a testament to her talent, because she won them for two very different performances, one as a call girl, and one as a drunken wife, and both were powerful, and both were honest, and that is a range that few actresses possess, and it is a reminder that Taylor was not just a beauty, she was an actress of extraordinary power.

And if you ever doubt that one person can make a difference, remember Elizabeth Taylor, because she did, as an actress, and as a humanitarian, and her difference is still felt today, in every person living with HIV who is helped by her foundation, and in every film she made, films that are still powerful, still moving, and still relevant, more than a decade after her death.

There is one more thing I want to say, and it is about her jewellery, because she loved diamonds, and she wore them with a joy that was infectious, and her collection, including the Taylor-Burton Diamond, is famous, but it was not the most important thing about her. The most important thing was her heart, and her compassion, and her courage, and those are the things that made her a legend, not her diamonds, and that is a reminder that what matters is not what you wear, but who you are.

Her story also reminds me that a beautiful child from London can become a legend, if she has talent, determination, and courage, and that is a hopeful message for anyone who dreams of being a star. Taylor was beautiful, and she was talented, and she was brave, and she became one of the greatest actresses in history, because she embraced who she was, and she used it to become great. That is a lesson worth remembering, for every dreamer out there.

I also want to mention her friend Rock Hudson, because his death from AIDS in 1985 was a turning point in her life, and it motivated her to become an activist, and to fight for people living with AIDS. She loved Rock, and she was devastated by his death, and she turned her grief into action, and that is a beautiful thing, and it is a part of her story that shows her compassion, and her determination to make a difference.

And finally, I think about the fact that she was a child star who survived, and who became a great actress, and a great humanitarian, and that is a rare achievement, because many child stars do not survive fame, and Taylor did, and she did it with grace, and with courage, and that is a legacy worth celebrating, and a life worth remembering, and I am grateful to have learned about it, and to have shared it with you, and I hope you feel the same. What stays with me about Taylor is her courage, the way she stood up for people with AIDS when few stars would, and that bravery is something every young actor should study, because fame is not only about films, it is about what you do with it, and Taylor used her fame to save lives, which is the finest use of fame there is.

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Elizabeth Taylor born?

Elizabeth Taylor was born on 27 February 1932 in London, England, to American parents. Her family moved to Los Angeles in 1939, and she was discovered by Hollywood at the age of nine.

How many Oscars did Elizabeth Taylor win?

She won two Academy Awards for Best Actress, for Butterfield 8 (1960) and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966). She was nominated five times in total.

How many times was Elizabeth Taylor married?

She was married eight times to seven men, including twice to Richard Burton. Her husbands included Conrad Hilton Jr., Michael Wilding, Mike Todd, Eddie Fisher, Richard Burton, John Warner, and Larry Fortensky.

What is Elizabeth Taylor most famous for?

She is famous for National Velvet, A Place in the Sun, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Cleopatra, and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and for her AIDS activism and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.

When did Elizabeth Taylor die?

She died on 23 March 2011 in Los Angeles, at the age of 79, of congestive heart failure, after a career of more than sixty years in film.

What did Elizabeth Taylor do for AIDS?

She co-founded amfAR in 1985 and founded the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation in 1991, raising hundreds of millions of dollars for AIDS research, prevention, and care, and speaking out when the disease was stigmatised.