Elizabeth Taylor - Biography and Interview Videos

Date of Birth: 27 February 1932






A family friend noticed little Elizabeth and suggested that she be taken for a screen test. Her screen test impressed executives at Universal Pictures and she acted in There's One Born Every Minute (1942),    when she was ten. The first production she made with MGM studio was Lassie Come Home (1943).  She had minuscule parts in her next two films, The White Cliffs of Dover (1944) and Jane Eyre (1943) Then came the picture that made Elizabeth a star: MGM's National Velvet (1944). She played Velvet Brown opposite Mickey Rooney. The film was a smash hit.  Elizabeth was given a long-term contract with MGM and was its top child star. In 1946, she acted in Courage of Lassie (1946). In 1947, when she was 15, she starred in Life with Father (1947) with such heavyweights as William Powell, Irene Dunne and Zasu Pitts.

 Her busiest year was 1954, with roles in Rhapsody (1954), Beau Brummell (1954), The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954) and Elephant Walk (1954). She was 22 now, and even at that young age was considered one of the world's great beauties. In 1955 she appeared in the hit Giant (1956) with James Dean.

 The next year saw Elizabeth star in Raintree County (1957), an overblown epic made, partially, in Kentucky.  Elizabeth was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of Southern belle Susanna Drake. . In 1958 Elizabeth starred as Maggie Pollitt in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958).

The film received rave reviews from the critics and Elizabeth was nominated again for an Academy Award for best actres. She was still a hot commodity in the film world, though. In 1959 she appeared in another mega-hit and received yet another Oscar nomination for Suddenly, Last Summer (1959).  Her Oscar drought ended in 1960 when she brought home the coveted statue for her flawless performance in Butterfield 8 (1960) as Gloria Wandrous, a call girl who is involved with a married man.

 In 1963 she starred in Cleopatra (1963), which was one of the most expensive productions up to that time--as was her salary, a whopping $1,000,000.

Elizabeth has top performance as  Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966). Her performance as the loudmouthed, shrewish, unkempt Martha was easily her finest to date.

For this she would win her second Oscar and one that was more than well-deserved.


Elizabeth Taylor Remembered - ABC News 2011
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Elitzabeth Taylor Winning Oscar for "Butterfield 8" (1961)
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News of Death of Elizabeth Taylor 23 March 2011
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