Steve Edge

Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, known as Liz Taylor (1932-2011), was a British-American actress. One of the most important actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age, Taylor was known not only for her acting talent but also for her beauty and violet eyes. She was the second child of a family that emigrated from the US to England, born in London. Her mother was a former actress, and her father was an art dealer. She had an older brother, Howard, born in 1929. The family moved to Los Angeles when Liz was a child, where her film career began. After signing a contract with MGM, she appeared in various films. As she grew older, the roles she played evolved. In 1957, she received her first Academy Award nomination for *Raintree County*. She was nominated again for Best Actress in 1958 for *Cat on a Hot Tin Roof*. She finally won the award in 1960 for her role as Gloria in *Butterfield 8*. In 1963, she played the famous Egyptian empress in *Cleopatra*, where she met actor Richard Burton, with whom she began a relationship while married to another. Taylor's relationship with Burton was highly publicized; they married in 1964 and remained married for 10 years. In 1966, she won her second Academy Award for her role as Martha in *Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?*. However, her career slowed down afterward. Beginning in the 1980s, she gradually withdrew from the film industry but remained active in humanitarian causes. Facing numerous health problems throughout her life, undergoing about 20 surgeries, Taylor died in Los Angeles in 2011 at the age of 79 due to heart failure. Elizabeth Taylor was a mother of four. The violet-eyed actress, who led a sensational life, married eight times and was linked to many famous people. Her romance, divorce, and marriage to Richard Burton were constantly in the headlines. Taylor converted to Judaism in 1959 and remained an active supporter of Israel. Taylor was awarded the Legion of Honour, France's highest decoration, in 1987 and the British Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2000.