Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was born in London, England on February 27, 1932. She lived in London for the first seven years of her life before the family left for Los Angeles when war began brewing in 1939. A family friend noticed the beautiful little Elizabeth and suggested that she be taken for a screen test.

She passed and signed a contract with Universal Studios. Her first foray was in the film ‘There’s One Born Every Minute’ (1942). Universal let the contract drop after the one film and Elizabeth was picked up by MGM. The first production she made with them was ‘Lassie Come Home’ (1943). MGM signed her for a full year.

Her next two films were minuscule parts. ‘The White Cliffs of Dover’ (1944) and ‘Jane Eyre’ (1944). Then came the film that made Elizabeth a star, MGM’s ‘National Velvet’ (1944). She played Velvet Brown opposite Mickey Rooney. The film was a smash hit grossing over $4 million. Now she had a long-term contract with MGM and was their top child star. She returned in 1946 in ‘Courage of Lassie’. In 1947, when she was 15, Elizabeth starred in ‘Life With Father’ co-starring cinema heavyweights William Powell, Irene Dunne, and ZaSu Pitts. Her other film that year was ‘Cynthia’. Throughout the 40s and into the early 50s, Elizabeth appeared in film after film with mostly good results.

1954 proved her busiest year with roles in ‘Rhapsody’, ‘Beau Brummell’, ‘The last time I saw Paris’, and ‘Elephant walk’. She was 22 and, now, a beautiful young woman. In 1956, Elizabeth appeared in the hit ‘Giant’ with James Dean. Sadly, Dean never saw the release of the film as he died in a car accident in 1955. The next year saw Elizabeth star in the drab ‘Raintree County’ (1957). Despite the shortcomings of the film, Elizabeth was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of Southern belle, Susanna Drake. The honour eluded her. In 1958, Elizabeth starred in ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’. The film received rave reviews and Liz was up for another unsuccessful Oscar nomination.

In 1959, she again appeared in another mega-hit and again another nomination for ‘Suddenly, last summer’ (1959). And once again, she lost. Her Oscar drought ended in 1960 when Elizabeth landed the coveted honour as Gloria Wandrous in ‘Butterfield 8’, a call girl who is involved with a married man. There were to be no films for Elizabeth for three years.

She had left MGM after her contract ran out, but would do projects for them later. In 1963, she starred in ‘Cleopatra’, one of the most expensive productions to date as was her salary, said to be a whopping $10,00,000. This was also the film where she would meet her future and fifth husband, Richard Burton. (The previous four were, Conrad Hilton, Michael Wilding, Michael Todd (who died in a plane crash), and Eddie Fisher).

Her next handful of films were lacklustre at best. Elizabeth was to return to fine form with her role of Martha in ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ (1966). The role as a loudmouth unkempt woman easily was her finest personal performance to date.

For this she would win her second Oscar. Since then she has appeared in several films, both for the silver screen and television. Her last film was ‘The Flinstones’ (1994).

In February 1997, Elizabeth entered the hospital for a successful removal of a brain tumour. As for her private life, she divorced Burton in 1974, only to remarry him in 1975 and divorce, permanently, in 1976. She has had two husbands since, Senator John Warner and Larry Fortensky.