Elizabeth Taylor dies at the age of 79
Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011)
Elizabeth Taylor was born in London, England on 27th February 1932. Her parents were American art dealers, and her mother had been a stage actress until she married. Taylor’s family moved to Los Angeles in 1939 when she was seven year’s old, where the suggestion of a family friend that she should attend a screen test resulted in the offer of a contract from Universal Studios. Taylor’s first film, a short entitled There’s One Born Every Minute, was released when she was just ten year’s old.
Taylor was subsequently signed by MGM to star in Lassie Come Home. Two tiny roles followed before she was cast as the female lead opposite Mickey Rooney in National Velvet in 1944. The film, which grossed over $4 million, catapulted Taylor to stardom and set in motion a career that was to span seven decades. Taylor worked steadily throughout the forties and early fifties without really establishing herself as a screen artist of any significant stature until 1957 which saw her receive an Academy award nomination for her role in Raintree County opposite her close friend Montgomery Clift. It was to be the first of four consecutive nominations for the Best Actress award, which she finally won for her performance in Butterfield 8.
