ELIZABETH TAYLOR died this morning, peacefully, at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, where she had been receiving treatment for more than a month for congestive heart failure. The Hollywood icon led a life, sometimes charmed, many times fraught with drama and difficulty.
She married 8 times, survived alcohol and drug addictions, brain tumor surgery, deadly bouts of pneumonia, a broken back on 4 different occasions, skin cancer, 3 hip replacements, heart surgery, a mistaken diagnosis of lung cancer, an attempted suicide in 1962, a pronouncement of death while filming BUTTERFIELD 8, and managed to navigate the minefield that is Hollywood stardom. And she was one of its biggest stars.
Her first leading movie role thrust her into America's spotlight, starring in NATIONAL VELVET at the age of 12. TAYLOR was nominated for Best Actress 3 years in a row for RAINTREE COUNTY in 1957, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF in 1958, and SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER in 1959, before she finally won her first Academy Award playing a high priced call girl in BUTTERFIELD 8, in 1960. In 1961, whilst on the set of CLEOPATRA, for which she set a record for her $1 million salary, ELIZABETH was "attacked" by the Vatican, which issued an unprecedented statement warning the world, and men at large of the "erotic vagrant" that "destroys families and devours men."
The missive was prompted by a major scandal, wherein TAYLOR, who was then married to singer and BUTTERFIELD co-star, EDDIE FISHER, carried on a very public affair with CLEOPATRA co-star RICHARD BURTON. Her marriage to FISHER had broken up the marriage of America's sweetheart, DEBBIE REYNOLDS and the singer, and was but months old when the romance with BURTON began. She was later quoted, "I'm not taking anything away from DEBBIE because she never really had it." She eventually divorced FISHER in 1964 and married BURTON for the first of 2 times in the same year.
Six years later she won another Best Actress award, again co-starring with RICHARD BURTON in the caustic WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?"
Her film career paled in comparison after that, but she turned her attention to AIDS fundraising and awareness in her later years, working tirelessly for AMFAR and MACY'S PASSPORT to raise millions for the disease that struck down, among others, her GIANT co-star ROCK HUDSON. She also befriended, and defended embattled legend MICHAEL JACKSON to his death, appearing at his funeral in 2009 looking shaken and frail.
She had a quick wit, and a sense of humor cast from years of being in the cauldron of Hollywood mega stardom. Some of her best quotes are listed below.
"Some of my best leading men have been dogs and horses."
"One problem with people with no vices is that they are pretty sure to have some annoying virtues."
"I had a hollow leg. I could drink everyone under the table and not get drunk. My capacity was terrifying."
"My mother says I didn't open my eyes for eight days after I was born, but when I did, the first thing I saw was an engagement ring. I was hooked."
"I don't remember much about CLEOPATRA. There were a lot of other things going on."
Do you think?
May DAME ELIZABETH TAYLOR rest in peace.
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