Elizabeth Taylor biography, husbands, children. eyes, age and cause of death

Biography of Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor was a legendary American actress, the "Queen of Hollywood," who captivated millions of fans worldwide. She married eight times, and her jewelry collection would make royalty envious. She possessed not only stunning beauty but also an extraordinary ability to live life to the fullest—her biography proves exactly that.

Childhood and Family

Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was born in an upscale northwestern London suburb, home to elite mansions of wealthy aristocrats. Her parents moved to the United Kingdom from the United States. Her father, Francis Lenn Taylor, was of Irish descent and managed an art gallery, while her mother, Sara Viola Warmbrodt, performed in theater under the stage name Sara Sothern. The parents were already raising a three-year-old son named Howard.

Little Liz was raised like true aristocracy—her mother taught her proper manners, acting basics, and piano, while her father brought her to his gallery to cultivate her appreciation for beauty. From the age of three, she attended ballet school and learned horseback riding on her own pony.

The little girl grew up to be a stunning beauty—she had extraordinary bright blue eyes with a violet tint and thick black eyelashes that grew in two rows (this rare phenomenon occurs in one in a million people and is called distichiasis).

Early Roles

When World War II broke out in 1939, the Taylor family was forced to return to the States. In Los Angeles, a new chapter began for the little girl—her mother decided to make her an actress and, after making the right connections, started taking Liz to auditions. She even created a fictional backstory for her daughter, claiming she'd attended ballet school with English Princess Margaret, learned horseback riding with London's elite, and been personally introduced to Her Majesty.

7-year-old Elizabeth Taylor and her brother selling lemonade at home

Her mother's efforts paid off—the charming little girl caught Hollywood producers' attention and landed a small role in "There's One Born Every Minute" (1942).

Elizabeth Taylor's first role ('There's One Born Every Minute')

Just a year later, young Miss Taylor scored two leading roles—Priscilla in "Lassie Come Home" and Helen Burns in the adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's classic "Jane Eyre." Elizabeth delivered excellent performances, earning solid pay and well-deserved praise from directors and producers. Her ability to nail any scene in one take earned her the nickname One-Shot Liz.

A shot from the movie 'Lassie Come Home'

Recognizing Taylor's serious acting potential, directors started offering her roles beyond young beauties—including strong-willed characters like Velvet Brown in the sports drama "National Velvet" (1944).

12-year-old Elizabeth on the set of the film 'National Velvet'

During filming, Elizabeth fell off a horse and injured her spine but bravely continued working despite severe back pain. Her efforts paid off completely—audiences fell in love with her and demanded more films featuring her from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

As a reward for filming, the producers gave the actress a horse

To show their appreciation for her excellent work, the studio gave Liz the horse she'd worked with as a birthday gift and awarded her a $15,000 bonus. The thirteen-year-old actress's salary jumped to $750 a week—huge money at the time that became crucial financial support for the Taylor family.

Gradually, Elizabeth started showing signs of "stardom"—she became demanding, argued with directors, and was constantly late. But the movie moguls overlooked these behaviors because the actress's popularity soared with each film, and her movies brought in substantial profits.

Elizabeth easily transitioned from teen to adult roles—by fifteen, she'd developed curves that drove male audiences wild. In 1948, Time magazine called Liz "a magnificent jewel" and "the most promising young actress in Hollywood."

Her filmography rapidly grew with new projects ("Courage of Lassie," "Life with Father," "Cynthia," "A Date with Judy")—her packed schedule left Elizabeth increasingly exhausted by the movie business. She was also deeply frustrated by her mother's constant hovering—after Sara's divorce and her husband's move to Wisconsin with Elizabeth's older brother, she never left her daughter's side.

A shot from the movie 'A Date with Judy'

Nobody could have imagined that the sixteen-year-old beauty every man in America fantasized about had never actually been on a date. Liz longed for a normal life so much that she even considered breaking her contract with the studio, but Sara managed to persuade her daughter not to do so.

Career Peak

Over the next decade, Elizabeth Taylor built an impressive filmography with two dozen new films. The standouts included "A Place in the Sun" (1951), "The Girl Who Had Everything" (1953), "Giant" (1956), and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (1958).

Elizabeth Taylor in 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'

In 1960, Taylor received her first Oscar for the role of Gloria Wandrous in the melodrama "Butterfield 8". Surprisingly, Elizabeth was initially reluctant to play a call girl who falls in love with her married client – she found the character too simplistic and vulgar.

Elizabeth Taylor winning Best Actress for "Butterfield 8"

But the role of Egyptian queen Cleopatra in Joseph Mankiewicz's 1963 historical drama was a dream come true! Taylor's luxurious costumes alone cost about $200,000, while the film's total budget reached $44 million – an unimaginable sum at the time.

Elizabeth earned a groundbreaking $1 million fee, setting an absolute record for that time. Even now, "Cleopatra" is considered the most expensive film in cinema history. Even more significantly, it was on this set that Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton first partnered creatively, soon blossoming into a passionate union of two loving hearts.

Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton on the set of 'Cleopatra'

Taylor received her second Oscar for her role as Martha in Mike Nichols' drama "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1966). At the time, the actress and her husband Richard Burton were going through a relationship crisis, making their on-screen portrayals exceptionally realistic. For the role, Elizabeth had to gain about 25 pounds and transform from a polished beauty into a disheveled, scandalous woman. After filming, shedding the extra weight proved difficult, though many viewers found Taylor's fuller figure even more appealing and sexy.

Elizabeth Taylor in 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'

In 1967, the spirited comedy "The Taming of the Shrew" was released, where Liz and Richard once again showcased every facet of their unstoppable temperaments. For this work, they were nominated for a BAFTA award, and the film was included in the top ten by the National Board of Review. This role became the actress's last memorable work, after which her career slowly began to decline.

Elizabeth Taylor's Personal Life

Men began to show interest in Elizabeth when she was very young. However, approaching her was not easy—her mother or two-meter-tall bodyguards hired by the film studio always shadowed the actress. When Liz turned sixteen, tempting offers came from very influential and wealthy men. But she was discerning and did not want to become anyone's plaything. This is why she turned down billionaire Howard Hughes, who offered Elizabeth's parents a six-figure sum to make her his wife.

Howard Hughes was willing to pay for Taylor's hand and heart

A love story with famous footballer Glenn Davis also ended in nothing—when Liz found out that their meeting was arranged by her mother, she immediately broke up with the unlucky suitor. The son of a U.S. ambassador, millionaire William D. Pauly Jr., was ready to lay the world at the feet of young Miss Taylor, but only if she gave up her career and devoted her life solely to him.

17-year-old Elizabeth Taylor and William Pauly, whose courtship she rejected

Of course, Liz couldn't agree to those terms and instead chose 24-year-old Conrad Nicholson Hilton Jr., heir to the massive Hilton hotel empire. But their domestic bliss didn't last long—the fairy-tale prince turned out to be a womanizer, a drunk, and a brawler. Nine months after the wedding, he raised his hand against Elizabeth, and she immediately filed for divorce.

Elizabeth Taylor's first husband is Conrad Nicholson Hilton Jr.

With a decent divorce settlement in hand, Liz became a sought-after catch again and a year later swept famous British actor Michael Wilding away from his family. Securing a contract in Hollywood for her beloved, she moved him to the States. There the couple officially tied the knot, and in 1953, Liz gave birth to her firstborn, Michael Howard.

Two years later, their second son, Christopher Edward (1955), was born, but once again, their domestic happiness didn't last. Falling into the shadow of his famous wife, Michael turned into a lazy idler who not only squandered his wife's money but also cheated on her in their own home.

In marriage, Taylor and Wilding had two sons

When she discovered this betrayal, Liz immediately filed for divorce and, before she knew it, found herself married again. Her third husband was influential director and producer Mike Todd, who was almost a quarter-century older than Taylor. Despite the significant age gap, Liz idolized her husband, who showered her with diamonds and boosted her Hollywood career.

In 1957, Elizabeth gave Todd a daughter, Elizabeth Frances, and a year later, her husband crashed in a private plane he named "Lucky Liz." Taylor was supposed to fly with him, but she stayed home due to feeling unwell.

Elizabeth Taylor and her daughter Lisa Todd

This tragedy left a deep wound in her soul, and family friend Eddie Fisher stepped in to help her heal. He left his wife Debbie — Elizabeth's friend — for Liz, and Debbie never forgave the actress for this betrayal. From that moment on, Liz gained a reputation as a homewrecker — a reputation that only grew stronger with her scandalous romance with Richard Burton, which ignited right on set.

Forgetting their families, the couple plunged headlong into a whirlwind of passion, ignoring morality and public condemnation. Burton showered his queen with jewels, while she gifted him expensive cars and rare works of art. Their marriage was intensely emotional: they were wildly jealous of each other, fought passionately, reconciled dramatically, and loved living lavishly.

Richard Burton became the main man in Elizabeth Taylor's life

Hoping to create a stable family, they adopted a German girl, Maria, but it didn't save their union. Some couples destroy each other with their passionate love, and this was exactly such a case. In 1974, they decided to divorce while still remaining close to each other. For a year, they exchanged letters and phone calls until Richard landed in the hospital with severe alcohol poisoning. Liz rushed to her ex-husband's side to help, and soon they remarried.

Taylor and Burton's relationship was very complicated

This time it lasted only nine months, after which Liz decided to break things off with Burton for good. Next, she married Virginia Senator John Warner, who soon won his election race — largely thanks to his wife's star power. Having achieved his goal, he lost interest in Taylor, while she wandered their luxurious home alone, turning to food and drink.

Marriage with Senator John Warner did not benefit the actress

Interesting roles were no longer coming her way, and 45-year-old Liz had no idea how to move forward, plunging her into deep despair. Alcohol and a nervous breakdown landed the actress in a rehabilitation clinic, from which she emerged refreshed and slimmer. Soon, Taylor landed a role in the Broadway production "The Little Foxes," which successfully ran in New York, London, and Los Angeles. Elizabeth once again felt successful and in demand, and divorced Warner after six years of marriage.

The last husband of the "Queen of Hollywood" was a construction worker, Larry Fortensky, whom she met in a rehabilitation clinic after receiving news of Richard Burton's death. The actress grew attached to this kind-hearted guy, who had faced many hardships in life, and decided to support him. She signed a contract with Larry, stating that he would receive a million dollars if he remained legally married to her for five years.

The wedding of Elizabeth Taylor and Larry Fortensky

He agreed, and in 1991, Elizabeth Taylor's final wedding — her eighth — took place, organized with the help of her close friend Michael Jackson. Five years later, the couple amicably divorced, and Fortensky thanked his ex-wife for the time spent with her in wealth and luxury — and for the million-dollar settlement he received.

Later Years and Death

Since the late '80s, Taylor mostly appeared in American television series, engaged in public activities and business, and launched her own perfume line. She threw herself into charity work, founding her own AIDS Foundation. In 1993, she earned her third Oscar for "Outstanding Individual Contribution to Humanitarian Causes."

Elizabeth Taylor's Third Oscar for Special Achievements

In 2001, Taylor starred in the comedy "These Old Broads," where she played almost herself, and decided to end her acting career. Health problems plagued her—her back, damaged in youth, caused constant pain, her heart was failing from years of stress and alcohol, and in 1997 doctors removed a brain tumor. She had both hips replaced and endured grueling skin cancer treatment.

Elizabeth Taylor's Last Role – 'These Old Broads'

In 2009, upon learning of the death of her close friend Michael Jackson, Taylor suffered a massive heart attack and underwent complex heart valve surgery. From then on, she remained under constant medical care with frequent hospital stays.

On February 13, 2011, the actress's condition worsened, requiring emergency hospitalization. Despite doctors' efforts, she took a turn for the worse on March 23, and the 79-year-old icon died of heart failure.

Taylor was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in California's Star Alley, near her friend Michael Jackson's grave. Before this, she had wished to be buried next to Richard Burton, but a few years before her death, she changed her decision.

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