Elizabeth Taylor Biography

Early Life & Rise to Stardom

• Born Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor on February 27, 1932, in Hampstead, London, to American art-dealer parents vanityfair.com+11en.wikipedia.org+11people.com+11.

• Moved to Los Angeles with her family in 1939; began acting as a child, debuting in There's One Born Every Minute (1942). Her breakthrough came as Velvet Brown in National Velvet (1944) at age 12 biography.com+2en.wikipedia.org+2en.wikipedia.org+2.

🎬 Hollywood Icon & Academy Award Winner

• Gained acclaim in adult roles: Father of the Bride (1950), A Place in the Sun (1951), Giant (1956), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), and Suddenly, Last Summer (1959) en.wikipedia.org+4en.wikipedia.org+4empireonline.com+4.

• Won her first Oscar for Best Actress in Butterfield 8 (1960), and a second for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) opposite Richard Burton en.wikipedia.org+11en.wikipedia.org+11britannica.com+11.

💔 Marriage to Richard Burton & Career Peak

• Met Richard Burton during Cleopatra (1963); their affair caused global scandal. The couple married twice (1964–74 and 1975–76), appearing in 11 films together empireonline.com+2en.wikipedia.org+2britannica.com+2.

• Earned critical praise for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, winning her second Oscar amid widespread adoration for the duo "Liz and Dick" en.wikipedia.org.

💍 Personal Life & Health Struggles

• Married eight times to seven husbands: Conrad Hilton Jr., Michael Wilding, Mike Todd, Eddie Fisher, Richard Burton (twice), John Warner, and Larry Fortensky the-sun.com+12en.wikipedia.org+12en.wikipedia.org+12.

• Experienced numerous health challenges: back injuries, pneumonia, osteoporosis, a brain tumor, strokes, and decades of hospitalizations vanityfair.com+2hellomagazine.com+2vanityfair.com+2.

💖 Philanthropy & Humanitarian Work

• A pioneering AIDS activist—co-founded amfAR (1985) and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (1991). Her efforts raised millions and fought stigma vanityfair.com+14en.wikipedia.org+14psychnewsdaily.com+14.

• Honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, Presidential Citizens Medal, Légion d'honneur, and named a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2000) empireonline.com+4elizabethtaylor.com+4elizabethtaylor.com+4.

• 

🏆 Awards & Recognition

• Academy Awards: 5 noms, 2 wins (Butterfield 8, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) people.com+7en.wikipedia.org+7biography.com+7

• Other Honors: Golden Globe, BAFTA, Tony nomination, AFI Life Achievement, SAG Life Achievement, Kennedy Center Honors, Berlin Silver Bear, and more en.wikipedia.org.

🕊 Later Years & Legacy

• Continued to appear in film, TV, and theater until the 2000s; launched a perfume and jewelry line people.com+12en.wikipedia.org+12britannica.com+12.

• Battled congestive heart failure; underwent multiple surgeries. Passed away peacefully in Los Angeles on March 23, 2011, at age 79 the-sun.com+9en.wikipedia.org+9hellomagazine.com+9.

Elizabeth Taylor was more than a dazzling Hollywood star—she was a resilient, compassionate woman whose influence extended far beyond the screen, reshaping celebrity activism and Hollywood’s understanding of fame, talent, and purpose.

🎥 Recent Coverage & Documentaries

• Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes (2024, HBO) features candid interviews from 1964, exploring her complex life, including attempted suicide, abuse, and her AIDS advocacy empireonline.com+12people.com+12psychnewsdaily.com+12.

• Coverage highlights her fierce empathy, humor, and dedication to AIDS victims and marginalized communities vanityfair.com+1vanityfair.com+1.