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Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor was born on February 27, 1932 in Hampstead, London. Her parents were both from the United
States, but were vacationing in London at the time of her birth. Her father worked as an art dealer and his
mother had been a stage actress.
When World War 2 started, Elizabeth moved back to the United States with her mother. There, they were
eventually joined by her father, who had to finish up some business deals. They decided to settle in Los
Angeles, where Hollywood was enjoying its reign over motion pictures.
When she was nine years old, she was given a very small role in 1942's "There's One Born Every Minute". This
was her first role in a motion picture and Universal decided to let her contract expire, after which she signed
with MGM studios. In 1943, she was given a supporting role in that studio's "Lassie Come Home", a story about
a collie who is sold to a nobleman, only to find its way back to its original owner.
In 1944, she was given the starring role in the film "National Velvet". The film was based on a novel by Enid
Bagnold and told the story of a girl who tries to win a horse racing championship. The movie ended up being a
massive success and generated over four million dollars in box office revenue. After this massive success, she
was given a long term contract with MGM.
In 1949, she received another important role in the film "Little Women". The film was based on a novel written
by Louisa May Alcott about a family of young girls growing up during the United States Civil War. It was another
hit and generated about four million dollars in box office sales.
In 1950, she starred in the film "Father of the Bride", alongside Spencer Tracy and Joan Bennett. The film was
a great success and solidified her acting career as an adult. In 1951, she starred in "A Place in the Sun", a film
about a love triangle between two women and a man connected by a factory.
As a young actress, she did not live a life typical of most teenagers. She was privately tutored on the studio lot
and received a special diploma on January 26, 1950. She also married at the age of eighteen to Conrad Hilton
Jr., an heir to the Hilton hotel empire. However, their marriage did not last very long and they divorced in early
1951.
In 1956, she headlined the epic film "Giant" alongside Rock Hudson and James Dean. In the film, she portrayed
the wife of a Texas rancher and oil tycoon, as well as the love interest of a ranch hand-come-millionaire played
by James Dean. The film was a massive success and received a massive number of Academy Award
nominations.
In 1958, she starred alongside Paul Newman in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof". The film was derived from a play with
the same name and was a smash hit at the box office. Critics also loved the film and it was nominated for
numerous Academy Awards, with Elizabeth being nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
In 1960, she starred in the film "Butterfield 8", in which she played a promiscuous model. In the film, she
becomes concerned that her careless sexual affairs will make her something of a prostitute, but then falls in
love with one of her one night stands, played by Laurence Harvey. She was nominated for and won the
Academy Award for Best Actress that year.
In 1963, Elizabeth was given her most famous role in Walter Wanger's remake of the film "Cleopatra".
Budgeted at an unthinkable $44 million, the film remains the most expensive film of all time. Although the movie
was a massive success and raked in $23 million, it was not nearly enough to cover the extravagant budget.
According to studio accounting, the film has yet to make enough revenue to completely cover the cost.
In 1966, she starred in the film "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" as a wife in an unhappy marriage. Her
husband was played by Richard Burton and the two had great screen chemistry, producing a riveting
performance that made the film a smash hit. It was nominated for every eligible category at that year's
Academy Awards and Elizabeth won the Best Actress award.
Elizabeth continued acting throughout the 1970s, with a few minor appearances since 1980. Since then, she
has been involved in eight different marriages, all ending in divorce or widowing. She has also worked towards
financing AIDS research, helping to raise over $50 million in funds.
Elizabeth Taylor was born on February 27, 1932 in Hampstead, London. Her parents were both from the United
States, but were vacationing in London at the time of her birth. Her father worked as an art dealer and his
mother had been a stage actress.
When World War 2 started, Elizabeth moved back to the United States with her mother. There, they were
eventually joined by her father, who had to finish up some business deals. They decided to settle in Los
Angeles, where Hollywood was enjoying its reign over motion pictures.
When she was nine years old, she was given a very small role in 1942's "There's One Born Every Minute". This
was her first role in a motion picture and Universal decided to let her contract expire, after which she signed
with MGM studios. In 1943, she was given a supporting role in that studio's "Lassie Come Home", a story about
a collie who is sold to a nobleman, only to find its way back to its original owner.
In 1944, she was given the starring role in the film "National Velvet". The film was based on a novel by Enid
Bagnold and told the story of a girl who tries to win a horse racing championship. The movie ended up being a
massive success and generated over four million dollars in box office revenue. After this massive success, she
was given a long term contract with MGM.
In 1949, she received another important role in the film "Little Women". The film was based on a novel written
by Louisa May Alcott about a family of young girls growing up during the United States Civil War. It was another
hit and generated about four million dollars in box office sales.
In 1950, she starred in the film "Father of the Bride", alongside Spencer Tracy and Joan Bennett. The film was
a great success and solidified her acting career as an adult. In 1951, she starred in "A Place in the Sun", a film
about a love triangle between two women and a man connected by a factory.
As a young actress, she did not live a life typical of most teenagers. She was privately tutored on the studio lot
and received a special diploma on January 26, 1950. She also married at the age of eighteen to Conrad Hilton
Jr., an heir to the Hilton hotel empire. However, their marriage did not last very long and they divorced in early
1951.
In 1956, she headlined the epic film "Giant" alongside Rock Hudson and James Dean. In the film, she portrayed
the wife of a Texas rancher and oil tycoon, as well as the love interest of a ranch hand-come-millionaire played
by James Dean. The film was a massive success and received a massive number of Academy Award
nominations.
In 1958, she starred alongside Paul Newman in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof". The film was derived from a play with
the same name and was a smash hit at the box office. Critics also loved the film and it was nominated for
numerous Academy Awards, with Elizabeth being nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
In 1960, she starred in the film "Butterfield 8", in which she played a promiscuous model. In the film, she
becomes concerned that her careless sexual affairs will make her something of a prostitute, but then falls in
love with one of her one night stands, played by Laurence Harvey. She was nominated for and won the
Academy Award for Best Actress that year.
In 1963, Elizabeth was given her most famous role in Walter Wanger's remake of the film "Cleopatra".
Budgeted at an unthinkable $44 million, the film remains the most expensive film of all time. Although the movie
was a massive success and raked in $23 million, it was not nearly enough to cover the extravagant budget.
According to studio accounting, the film has yet to make enough revenue to completely cover the cost.
In 1966, she starred in the film "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" as a wife in an unhappy marriage. Her
husband was played by Richard Burton and the two had great screen chemistry, producing a riveting
performance that made the film a smash hit. It was nominated for every eligible category at that year's
Academy Awards and Elizabeth won the Best Actress award.
Elizabeth continued acting throughout the 1970s, with a few minor appearances since 1980. Since then, she
has been involved in eight different marriages, all ending in divorce or widowing. She has also worked towards
financing AIDS research, helping to raise over $50 million in funds.
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Taylor laments, "I have lost my best
friend."
Earlier this year (05), Taylor said, "I've
never loved a dog like this in my life.
It's amazing. Sometimes I think there's
a person in there. There's something
to say for this kind of love - it's
unconditional."
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