Elizabeth Taylor

Biography

Elizabeth Taylor was a British and American actress who began as a child performer in the early 1940s and became one of classical Hollywood's most popular stars. Born in London, she moved to Los Angeles at seven and made her screen debut in There's One Born Every Minute (1942). Universal dropped her after a year, but MGM signed her, and National Velvet (1944) made her a teen favorite. She shifted to adult roles in Father of the Bride (1950), A Place in the Sun (1951), Ivanhoe (1952), and Giant (1956). She won a Golden Globe for Suddenly, Last Summer (1959) and a first Academy Award for BUtterfield 8 (1960). Cleopatra (1963) was her best-known role. She also starred in The V.I.P.s (1963) and The Sandpiper (1965), and in The Taming of the Shrew (1967). Her performance in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) earned her a second Academy Award. She later acted in stage and television work.

79years old at death

Born February 27, 1932Hampstead Garden Suburb
Died March 23, 2011Los Angeles
Star sign: PiscesThe sign runs February 19 to March 20
Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (birth name)Also credited as Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, Dame Elizabeth Taylor and Liz Taylor

Movie Career

Films: 47
Career span: 81 years1942 to 2023

Genres

Drama70%, 33 films
Romance36%, 17 films
Comedy26%, 12 films
Family17%, 8 films
Thriller15%, 7 films

First and latest

Photos

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Beyond film
Taylor's first substantial stage role was Regina Giddens in a Broadway production of Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes, which she played as a victim of circumstance rather than a villain.
First role
Taylor's first stage role was Helen of Troy in a week-long Oxford performance of Doctor Faustus in 1966, a part that required no speaking.
Getting ready for a role
To look older and tired as 50-year-old Martha, Taylor put on weight, wore a wig and used makeup, which contrasted with her glamorous film star image. She also suggested hiring theater director Mike Nichols, who lacked film experience.
Behind the camera
Encouraged by The Little Foxes doing well, Taylor and producer Zev Buffman started the Elizabeth Taylor Repertory Company. It put on just one show, a revival of Noel Coward's comedy Private Lives, with Taylor and Burton.

Elizabeth Taylor movies on Netflix

Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed2023IMDb rating 7.3as Himself
Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration2001IMDb rating 8.4as Himself
These Old Broads2001IMDb rating 5.8as Beryl Mason
The Flintstones1994IMDb rating 5.1as Pearl Slaghoople
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert1992IMDb rating 8.7as Himself
The Mirror Crack'd1980IMDb rating 6.2as Marina Rudd
A Little Night Music1977IMDb rating 5.4as Desiree Armfeldt
The Blue Bird1976IMDb rating 5.4as Queen of Light/Mother/Witch/Maternal Love
Victory at Entebbe1976IMDb rating 5.9as Edra Vilnofsky
Identikit1974IMDb rating 5.9as Lise
That's Entertainment!1974IMDb rating 7.8as Self - Host / Narrator
Night Watch1973IMDb rating 6.3as Ellen Wheeler
Under Milk Wood1972IMDb rating 5.8as Rosie Probert
Zee and Co.1972IMDb rating 5.8as Zee Blakeley
Boom!1968IMDb rating 5.5as Flora 'Sissy' Goforth
Secret Ceremony1968IMDb rating 6.2as Leonora
Doctor Faustus1967IMDb rating 5.4as Helen of Troy
Reflections in a Golden Eye1967IMDb rating 6.7as Leonora Penderton
The Comedians1967IMDb rating 6.3as Martha Pineda
The Taming of the Shrew1967IMDb rating 7.0as Katharina
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?1966IMDb rating 8.0as Martha
The Sandpiper1965IMDb rating 6.3as Laura Reynolds
Cleopatra1963IMDb rating 7.0as Cleopatra
The V.I.P.s1963IMDb rating 6.3as Frances Andros
BUtterfield 81960IMDb rating 6.3as Gloria Wandrous
Suddenly, Last Summer1959IMDb rating 7.4as Catherine Holly
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof1958IMDb rating 7.9as Maggie
Raintree County1957IMDb rating 6.3as Susanna Drake Shawnessy
Giant1956IMDb rating 7.6as Leslie Benedict
Beau Brummell1954IMDb rating 6.4as Lady Patricia
Elephant Walk1954IMDb rating 6.3as Ruth Wiley
Rhapsody1954IMDb rating 6.2as Louise Durant
The Last Time I Saw Paris1954IMDb rating 6.1as Helen Ellswirth
Ivanhoe1952IMDb rating 6.7as Rebecca
Love Is Better Than Ever1952IMDb rating 5.6as Anastacia Macaboy
A Place in the Sun1951IMDb rating 7.7as Angela Vickers
Callaway Went Thataway1951IMDb rating 6.6as Elizabeth Taylor
Father's Little Dividend1951IMDb rating 6.5as Kay Dunstan
Father of the Bride1950IMDb rating 7.1as Kay Banks
Little Women1949IMDb rating 7.2as Amy
A Date with Judy1948IMDb rating 6.5as Carol Pringle
Life with Father1947IMDb rating 7.1as Mary Skinner
Courage of Lassie1946IMDb rating 6.2as Kathie Eleanor Merrick
National Velvet1944IMDb rating 7.3as Velvet Brown
Jane Eyre1943IMDb rating 7.4as Helen Burns
Lassie Come Home1943IMDb rating 7.1as Priscilla
There's One Born Every Minute1942IMDb rating 5.6as Gloria Twine

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

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Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?1966 Dramaas Martha
IMDb rating 8.084K votes
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof1958 Dramaas Maggie
IMDb rating 7.958K votes
Giant1956as Leslie Benedict
IMDb rating 7.644K votes
Cleopatra1963as Cleopatra
IMDb rating 7.042K votes
Suddenly, Last Summer1959as Catherine Holly
IMDb rating 7.419K votes
A Place in the Sun1951as Angela Vickers
IMDb rating 7.727K votes
The Flintstones1994as Pearl Slaghoople
IMDb rating 5.193K votes
BUtterfield 81960as Gloria Wandrous
IMDb rating 6.38.1K votes

Most often with

Vincente Minnelli directed three of these films, George Stevens two and Richard Brooks two. Richard Burton appears in nine of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

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Richard Burton

Rock Hudson

Moroni Olsen

Rod Taylor

Montgomery Clift

Tom Drake

Vincente MinnelliDirector, 3 films

George StevensDirector, 2 films

Richard BrooksDirector, 2 films

Films together

Richard Burton9 films together, 1963 to 1972
Richard Burton's page
- Under Milk Wood1972IMDb rating 5.8Taylor as Rosie ProbertBurton as First Man
- Boom!1968IMDb rating 5.5Taylor as Flora 'Sissy' GoforthBurton as Chris Flanders
- Doctor Faustus1967IMDb rating 5.4Taylor as Helen of TroyBurton as Doctor Faustus
- The Comedians1967IMDb rating 6.3Taylor as Martha PinedaBurton as Brown
- The Taming of the Shrew1967IMDb rating 7.0Taylor as KatharinaBurton as Petruchio
- Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?1966IMDb rating 8.0Taylor as MarthaBurton as George
- The Sandpiper1965IMDb rating 6.3Taylor as Laura ReynoldsBurton as Edward Hewitt
- Cleopatra1963IMDb rating 7.0Taylor as CleopatraBurton as Marcus Antonius
- The V.I.P.s1963IMDb rating 6.3Taylor as Frances AndrosBurton as Paul Andros
Rock Hudson3 films together, 1956 to 2023
Rock Hudson's page
- Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed2023IMDb rating 7.3Taylor as HimselfHudson as Himself
- The Mirror Crack'd1980IMDb rating 6.2Taylor as Marina RuddHudson as Jason Rudd
- Giant1956IMDb rating 7.6Taylor as Leslie BenedictHudson as Jordan 'Bick' Benedict Jr.
Moroni Olsen3 films together, 1947 to 1951
Moroni Olsen's page
- Father's Little Dividend1951IMDb rating 6.5Taylor as Kay DunstanOlsen as Herbert Dunstan
- Father of the Bride1950IMDb rating 7.1Taylor as Kay BanksOlsen as Herbert Dunstan
- Life with Father1947IMDb rating 7.1Taylor as Mary SkinnerOlsen as Dr. Humphries
Rod Taylor3 films together, 1956 to 1963
Rod Taylor's page
- The V.I.P.s1963IMDb rating 6.3Taylor as Frances AndrosTaylor as Les Mangrum
- Raintree County1957IMDb rating 6.3Taylor as Susanna Drake ShawnessyTaylor as Garwood B. Jones
- Giant1956IMDb rating 7.6Taylor as Leslie BenedictTaylor as Sir David Karfrey
Montgomery Clift3 films together, 1951 to 1959
Montgomery Clift's page
- Suddenly, Last Summer1959IMDb rating 7.4Taylor as Catherine HollyClift as Dr. Cukrowicz
- Raintree County1957IMDb rating 6.3Taylor as Susanna Drake ShawnessyClift as John Wickliff Shawnessy
- A Place in the Sun1951IMDb rating 7.7Taylor as Angela VickersClift as George Eastman
Tom Drake3 films together, 1946 to 1965
Tom Drake's page
- The Sandpiper1965IMDb rating 6.3Taylor as Laura ReynoldsDrake as Walter Robinson
- Raintree County1957IMDb rating 6.3Taylor as Susanna Drake ShawnessyDrake as Bobby Drake
- Courage of Lassie1946IMDb rating 6.2Taylor as Kathie Eleanor MerrickDrake as Sergeant Smitty
Vincente MinnelliDirector, 3 films, 1950 to 1965
All films by Vincente Minnelli
- The Sandpiper1965IMDb rating 6.3Taylor as Laura Reynolds
- Father's Little Dividend1951IMDb rating 6.5Taylor as Kay Dunstan
- Father of the Bride1950IMDb rating 7.1Taylor as Kay Banks
George StevensDirector, 2 films, 1951 to 1956
All films by George Stevens
- Giant1956IMDb rating 7.6Taylor as Leslie Benedict
- A Place in the Sun1951IMDb rating 7.7Taylor as Angela Vickers
Richard BrooksDirector, 2 films, 1954 to 1958
All films by Richard Brooks
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof1958IMDb rating 7.9Taylor as Maggie
- The Last Time I Saw Paris1954IMDb rating 6.1Taylor as Helen Ellswirth

Box office

What Elizabeth Taylor's films earned in cinemas worldwide.

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Combined worldwide box office

$604 million

24 of the 47 films have a worldwide figure.

24Worldwide figure
6US gross only
5Never in cinemas
12Figure not found

Top grosser

The Flintstones1994Pearl Slaghoople$342 million

Highest grossing

The eight biggest films earned 85% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.

1
The Flintstones1994as Pearl Slaghoople
$342M56.5% of the total
2
Cleopatra1963as Cleopatra
$58M9.6% of the total
3
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?1966as Martha
$34M5.6% of the total
4
Giant1956as Leslie Benedict
$33M5.4% of the total
5
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof1958as Maggie
$18M2.9% of the total
6
The Mirror Crack'd1980as Marina Rudd
$11M1.8% of the total
7
Ivanhoe1952as Rebecca
$11M1.8% of the total
8
BUtterfield 81960as Gloria Wandrous
$10M1.7% of the total

Suddenly, Last Summer (1959), $9.0 million

The Taming of the Shrew (1967), $8.0 million

The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954), $4.9 million

Love Is Better Than Ever (1952), $974,000

$88.8 millionfrom the other 16 films with a worldwide figure, 15% of the total

Awards

Twelve awards and honors from 1960 to 2011, seven of them major.

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Elizabeth Taylor's awards and nominations, grouped by award
Year	Award	Film	Result
Academy Awards
1967	Best Actress	Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?	Won
1961	Best Actress	BUtterfield 8	Won
Golden Globes
1984	Cecil B. DeMille Award		Won
1960	Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama	Suddenly, Last Summer	Won
BAFTA
1966	Best Actress in a Leading Role	Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?	Won
SAG Awards
1998	Life Achievement Award		Won
Berlin Film Festival
1972	Silver Bear for Best Actress	Hammersmith Is Out	Won
Other honors
2011	Jane Fonda Humanitarian Award		Won
2007	California Hall of Fame		Won
1993	AFI Life Achievement Award		Won
1993	Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award		Won
	Kennedy Center Honors		Won

Online

Official profiles and reference pages.

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