Elizabeth Taylor: biography

Dame Elizabeth Taylor is known as one of the great actresses and beauties of her time. She also known for her many marriages and love of diamonds.

Beginnings

Elizabeth Taylor was born on 27 February 1932 in England to American parents. Her family moved back to the US before World War II broke out in 1939, settling in California. Because of Elizabeth's striking looks, she stood out in Hollywood and soon some of the major film studios wanted to sign her.

Career

Child star
At age nine she was signed by Universal. Elizabeth Taylor and Universal parted ways a year later and MGM signed her.Her first film for MGM was 'Lassie Come Home' (1943) but it was a year later that she became a child star with her part in 'National Velvet' (1944). The next Elizabeth Taylor movies, 'Life with Father' (1947), 'Cynthia' (1947), 'Julia Misbehaves' (1948) and 'Little Women' (1949) were also a success. Adult career
Taylor then succesfully crossed over to playing adult roles. 'Father of the Bride' (1950) and the follow up 'Father's Little Divident' (1951) did very well at the box office, but it was 'A place in the Sun' (1951) that showed Taylor's lustrous side for the first time and made her a sex symbol. Her role in 'Giant' (1956) opposite James Dean, Montgomery Clift and Rock Hudson showed that Taylor could hold her own on the screen with the best of them. In 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' (1958), she stole the picture as Maggie and in 'Butterfield 8' Taylor played a prostitute and subsequently won an Oscar. 1960s - Decisive years The sixties were great years for Taylor. She was in the top ten biggest box office stars of every year of the decade. In 1960 she became the highest paid actress when she accepted $ 1 million to play in 'Cleopatra' (1963). Marriage on the cards
The film's production was troubled, but Taylor met Richard Burton on set and started a scandalous love affair with him. They married twice, making him her fourth and fifth husband. During their marriage they starred in many pictures together like 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' (1966), which earned Taylor her second Oscar. Throughout the seventies and eighties, Taylor continued to star in films and on television, but she also became known for her work for the Aids foundation, and her perfume called Elizabeth Taylor: White Diamonds.

Achievements

Elizabeth Taylor won two Academy Awards. Once for 'Butterfield 8' (1960) and another for 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' (1966). She also received the
Jean Herscholt Humanitarian Academy Award in 1992 for her work fighting Aids.