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

Biography of Elizabeth Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor was a talented American actress, the "Queen of Hollywood," admired by millions of men from different corners of the world. She was married eight times, and her jewelry collections could make members of royal families envious. This woman possessed not only unique beauty but also a special talent for taking everything from life, and her biography is a vivid confirmation of that.

Childhood and Family

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

Little Liz was raised as a true aristocrat—her mother taught her good manners, the basics of acting, and piano playing, while her father took her to his gallery to instill a love of beauty. From the age of three, she attended ballet school and learned horseback riding on her own pony.

Moreover, the little girl grew up to be a real beauty—she had extraordinary bright blue eyes with a violet tint and thick black eyelashes that grew in two rows (this rare phenomenon occurs once in a million and is known as distichiasis).

Early Roles

In 1939, World War II began, and the Taylor family had to return to the States. In Los Angeles, a new life started for the little girl—her mother decided to turn her into an actress and, having made the right connections, began taking Liz to auditions. She even invented a new biography for her daughter, according to which she attended ballet school with English Princess Margaret, learned horseback riding with the London elite, and was 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 the attention of Hollywood producers and was offered a small role in the film "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 landed two leading roles—Priscilla in "Lassie Come Home" and Helen Burns in the adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's famous novel "Jane Eyre." Elizabeth performed excellently, earning a good salary and deserved praise from directors and producers. For her ability to play any scene in one take, she was nicknamed One-Shot Liz.

A shot from the movie 'Lassie Come Home'

Seeing serious acting potential in Taylor, directors began offering her roles not only as young beauties but also as strong-willed girls, such as Velvet Brown in the sports drama "National Velvet" (1944).

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

During the filming of this movie, Elizabeth fell off a horse and injured her spine but courageously continued working despite severe back pain. Her efforts were fully rewarded with the love and recognition of the audience, who demanded more new films with her from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

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

In appreciation of her excellent work, the film company gifted Liz the horse she worked with on her birthday and awarded her a bonus of $15,000. The thirteen-year-old actress's salary was raised to $750 a week—huge money at the time, which became a significant financial support for the Taylor family.

Gradually, Elizabeth began to show signs of "stardom": she became capricious, argued with directors, and was always late everywhere. But the movie moguls forgave her these liberties because the actress's popularity grew from film to film, and movies featuring her brought in substantial profits.

Elizabeth easily transitioned from teenage to adult roles—by the age of fifteen, she could boast quite feminine forms that drove the male audience wild. In 1948, Time magazine called Liz "a magnificent jewel" and "the most promising young actress in Hollywood."

Her filmography quickly expanded with new films ("Courage of Lassie," "Life with Father," "Cynthia," "A Date with Judy")—her work schedule was so packed that Elizabeth began to tire of the cinema. She was also terribly irritated by her mother's constant supervision, who, after her divorce and her husband's departure with the elder son to Wisconsin, did not leave her side.

A shot from the movie 'A Date with Judy'

No one could have imagined that the sixteen-year-old beauty, whom every man in America dreamed of, had never 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 ten years, Elizabeth Taylor's filmography was enriched with two dozen new films. Among them, the most striking and memorable were "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". Interestingly, Elizabeth was initially reluctant to play a call girl who falls in love with her married client – the character seemed too simplistic and vulgar to her.

Elizabeth Taylor winning Best Actress for "Butterfield 8"

The role of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra in Joseph Mankiewicz's 1963 historical drama, however, was a dream come true! Just for Taylor's luxurious costumes, about 200 thousand dollars were spent, and the total budget of the film amounted to 44 million – an unimaginable sum at the time.

Elizabeth was paid a fee of one million dollars, setting an absolute record for that time. Even now, "Cleopatra" is considered the most expensive film in cinema history. Moreover, it was on the set of this film that the creative partnership between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton first formed, 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 experiencing a relationship crisis, making their on-screen portrayals exceptionally realistic. For the role, Elizabeth had to gain a dozen kilograms and transform from a polished beauty into a disheveled, scandalous woman. After filming, losing the extra weight proved difficult, although many viewers found Taylor’s fuller figure even more appealing and sexy.

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

In 1967, the eccentric comedy "The Taming of the Shrew" was released, where Liz and Richard once again showcased all facets 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 last memorable work of the actress, 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

Naturally, Liz could not agree to this and chose 24-year-old Conrad Nicholson Hilton Jr., heir to the giant Hilton hotel chain. But the family idyll did not 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.

Receiving a decent settlement, Liz became a sought-after bride again and a year later took away the famous British actor Michael Wilding from his family. Securing a contract in Hollywood for her beloved, she moved him to the States. There the couple officially registered their relationship, and in 1953, Liz gave birth to her firstborn, Michael Howard.

Two years later, their second son, Christopher Edward (1955), was born, but again, the family idyll did not 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

Upon learning this, 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 difference, Liz idolized her husband, who showered her with diamonds and advanced her career in Hollywood.

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, which family friend Eddie Fisher tried to heal. For Liz, he left his wife Debbie, Elizabeth's friend, who never forgave the actress for this betrayal. From that moment on, Liz gained a reputation as a homewrecker, further supported by a scandalous romance with Richard Burton, which happened right on the set.

Forgetting about their families, the couple plunged headlong into a whirlwind of passion, ignoring morality and public condemnation. Burton showered his queen with jewels, and she gifted him expensive cars and rare works of art. Their marriage was very emotional: the spouses were jealous of each other, quarreled intensely, reconciled, and loved to live lavishly.

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

Trying to become a model family, they adopted a German girl, Maria, but it didn't save their union. Some couples destroy each other with their mad love, and this was such a case. In 1974, the spouses decided to divorce, still remaining close to each other. For a year, they exchanged letters and calls until Richard ended up in the hospital with severe alcohol poisoning. Liz rushed to her former 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 off with Burton for good. Next, she married Virginia Senator John Warner, who soon (largely thanks to his wife's popularity) won the election race. Having achieved his goal, he lost interest in Taylor, while she roamed their luxurious home alone, indulging in food and drink.

Marriage with Senator John Warner did not benefit the actress

Interesting roles were no longer offered, and 45-year-old Liz had no idea how to live on, plunging her into deep despair. Alcohol and a nervous breakdown led the actress to a rehabilitation clinic, from which she emerged refreshed and slimmer. Soon, Taylor was offered 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 simple builder, Larry Fortensky, whom she met in a rehabilitation clinic after receiving news of Richard Burton's death. The actress became attached to this kind-hearted guy, who had faced many misfortunes in life, and decided to support him. She signed a contract with Larry, stipulating 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

The guy agreed, and in 1991, Elizabeth Taylor's last, eighth wedding took place, organized with the help of her close friend Michael Jackson. Five years later, the couple amicably divorced, and Fortensky thanked his former wife for the time spent with her in wealth and luxury and for the million dollars he received as a settlement.

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 devoted much time and effort to charity, founding her own AIDS Foundation. In 1993, the actress received her third golden statuette 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. She was plagued by numerous ailments—her back, damaged in youth, troubled her, her heart, worn out by stress and alcohol, was failing, and in 1997 a tumor was removed from her brain. She underwent hip replacement surgery for both joints and endured long, exhausting treatment for skin cancer.

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

In 2009, upon learning of the death of her close friend Michael Jackson, Taylor was hospitalized with a severe heart attack and underwent complex heart valve repair surgery. From that moment, she was under constant medical supervision and was frequently hospitalized for examinations.

On February 13, 2011, the actress's condition worsened, requiring emergency hospitalization. Despite the doctors' efforts, on March 23, she became critically ill, and the 79-year-old actress died of heart failure.

Taylor was buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in California's Star Alley next to 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.