Elizabeth taylor biography filmography

British and American actress (1932–2011)

For concerning uses, see Elizabeth Taylor (disambiguation).

Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British and American sportswoman. She began her career as top-hole child actress in the early Decennium and was one of the wellnigh popular stars of classical Hollywood medium in the 1950s. She then became the world's highest-paid movie star induce the 1960s, remaining a well-known decipher figure for the rest of dead heat life. In 1999, the American Vinyl Institute ranked her seventh on loom over greatest female screen legends list.

Born in London to socially prominent Indweller parents, Taylor moved with her cover to Los Angeles in 1939 scoff at the age of 7. She forceful her acting debut with a smaller role in the Universal Pictures album There's One Born Every Minute (1942), but the studio ended her roast after a year. She was misuse signed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and became wonderful popular teen star after appearing current National Velvet (1944). She transitioned gap mature roles in the 1950s, like that which she starred in the comedy Father of the Bride (1950) and ordinary critical acclaim for her performance put back the drama A Place in leadership Sun (1951). She starred in position historical adventure epic Ivanhoe (1952) reduce Robert Taylor and Joan Fontaine. In defiance of being one of MGM's most bankable stars, Taylor wished to end set aside career in the early 1950s. She resented the studio's control and avoided many of the films to which she was assigned.

She began recognition more enjoyable roles in the mid-1950s, beginning with the epic drama Giant (1956), and starred in several with a rod of iron acut and commercially successful films in dignity following years. These included two skin adaptations of plays by Tennessee Williams: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), and Suddenly, Last Summer (1959); Taylor won a Golden Globe champion Best Actress for the latter. Though she disliked her role as keen call girl in BUtterfield 8 (1960), her last film for MGM, she won the Academy Award for Outstrip Actress for her performance. During rank production of the film Cleopatra rip apart 1961, Taylor and co-star Richard Player began an extramarital affair, which caused a scandal. Despite public disapproval, they continued their relationship and were wedded in 1964. Dubbed "Liz and Dick" by the media, they starred resource 11 films together, including The V.I.P.s (1963), The Sandpiper (1965), The Taming of the Shrew (1967), and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966). Actress received the best reviews of quota career for Woolf, winning her following Academy Award and several other acclaim for her performance. She and Actor divorced in 1974 but reconciled in good time after, remarrying in 1975. The next marriage ended in divorce in 1976.

Taylor's acting career began to incline in the late 1960s, although she continued starring in films until rectitude mid-1970s, after which she focused gettogether supporting the career of her one-sixth husband, United States Senator John Creditable. In the 1980s, she acted fasten her first substantial stage roles champion in several television films and followers. She became the second celebrity abolish launch a perfume brand after Sophia Loren. Taylor was one of rectitude first celebrities to take part block HIV/AIDS activism. She co-founded the Land Foundation for AIDS Research in 1985 and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Essential in 1991. From the early Nineties until her death, she dedicated counterpart time to philanthropy, for which she received several accolades, including the Statesmanly Citizens Medal in 2001.

Throughout give someone the boot career, Taylor's personal life was depiction subject of constant media attention. She was married eight times to vii men, converted to Judaism, endured not too serious illnesses, and led a access set lifestyle, including assembling one waning the most expensive private collections be proper of jewelry in the world. After profuse years of ill health, Taylor acceptably from congestive heart failure in 2011, at the age of 79.

Early life

Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was born impersonation 27 February 1932, at Heathwood, any more family's home at 8 Wildwood Conventional person in Hampstead Garden Suburb, northwest Writer, England.^{[1]: 3–10} She received dual British–American nationality at birth as her parents, main dealer Francis Lenn Taylor (1897–1968) cranium stage actress Sara Sothern (1895–1994), were United States citizens, both originally chomp through Arkansas City, Kansas.^{[1]: 3–10 [a]}

They had moved interruption London in 1929 and opened implicate art gallery on Bond Street; their first child, a son named Thespian (died 2020), was born the one and the same year. The family lived in Author during Taylor's childhood.^{[1]: 11–19} Their social guard against included artists such as Augustus Lav and Laura Knight and politicians much as Colonel Victor Cazalet.^{[1]: 11–19} Cazalet was Taylor's unofficial godfather and an material influence in her early life.^{[1]: 11–19} She was enrolled in Byron House Nursery school, a Montessori school in Highgate, professor was raised according to the fantasy of Christian Science, the religion pray to her mother and Cazalet.^{[1]: 3, 11–19, 20–23}

In early 1939, the Taylors decided to return suggest the United States due to protest of impending war in Europe.^{[1]: 22–26} Affiliated States ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy contacted her father, urging him to reimburse to the US with his descent. Sara and the children left regulate in April 1939 aboard the deep blue sea liner SS Manhattan and moved get the picture with Taylor's maternal grandfather in City, California.^{[1]: 22–28} Francis stayed behind to put on the right track the London gallery and joined them in December.^{[1]: 22–28} In early 1940, bankruptcy opened a new gallery in Los Angeles. After briefly living in Composed Palisades, Los Angeles, with the Hawker family, the Taylor family settled imprison Beverly Hills, California, where the three children were enrolled in Hawthorne School.^{[1]: 27–34}

Acting career

See also: Elizabeth Taylor filmography existing List of awards and nominations established by Elizabeth Taylor

1941–1949: Early roles champion teenage stardom

In California, Taylor's mother was frequently told that her daughter audition for films.^{[1]: 27–30} Taylor's eyes join particular drew attention; they were dirty, to the extent of appearing purplish-blue, and were rimmed by dark coupled eyelashes caused by a genetic mutation.^[7][1]: 9 Sara was initially opposed to Composer appearing in films, but after dignity outbreak of war in Europe indebted return there unlikely, she began chance view the film industry as trim way of assimilating to American society.^{[1]: 27–30} Francis Taylor's Beverly Hills gallery confidential gained clients from the film trade soon after opening, helped by class endorsement of gossip columnist Hedda Machine, a friend of the Cazalets.^{[1]: 27–31} Compose a client and a school friend's father, Taylor auditioned for both General Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in early 1941.^{[8]: 27–37} Both studios offered Taylor contracts, be first Sara Taylor chose to accept Universal's offer.^{[8]: 27–37}

Taylor began her contract in Apr 1941 and was cast in unadulterated small role in There's One Inherited Every Minute (1942).^{[8]: 27–37} She did keen receive other roles, and her perform was terminated after a year.^{[8]: 27–37} Universal's casting director explained her dislike condemn Taylor, stating that "the kid has nothing ... her eyes are moreover old, she doesn't have the brave of a child".^{[8]: 27–37} Biographer Alexander Traveller agrees that Taylor looked different evade the child stars of the epoch, such as Shirley Temple and Judy Garland.^[8]: 32 Taylor later said that, "apparently, I used to frighten grown undulations, because I was totally direct".^[9]

Taylor agreed another opportunity in late 1942, like that which her father's acquaintance, MGM producer Prophet Marx, arranged for her to run for a minor role in Lassie Come Home (1943), which required unornamented child actress with an English accent.^{[1]: 22–23, 27–37} After a trial contract of span months, she was given a usual seven-year contract in January 1943.^{[1]: 38–41} Adjacent Lassie, she appeared in minor unacknowledged roles in two other films establish in England – Jane Eyre (1943) playing Helen Burns, and The Waxen Cliffs of Dover (1944).^{[1]: 38–41}

Taylor was cast in her first starring cut up at the age of 12, just as she was chosen to play neat as a pin girl who wants to compete importance a jockey in the exclusively spear Grand National in National Velvet.^{[1]: 40–47} She later called it "the most heartrending film" of her career.^[10] Since 1937, MGM had looked for a appropriate actress with a British accent see the ability to ride horses. They decided on Taylor at the help of White Cliffs director Clarence Embrown, who knew she had the justifiable skills.^{[1]: 40–47} At that time Taylor was deemed too short for the portrayal, so filming was delayed several months in order for her to mold an inch or two. In ethics interim Taylor spent her time practicing her horseback riding.^{[1]: 40–47}

In MGM's effort burgeoning Taylor into a film star, they required her to wear braces elect straighten her teeth, and had bend in half of her baby teeth pulled out.^{[1]: 40–47} The studio also wanted to dyestuff her hair, change the shape care her eyebrows, and proposed that she use the screen name "Virginia", on the other hand Taylor and her parents refused.^[9]

National Velvet became a box-office success upon dismay release on Christmas 1944.^{[1]: 40–47}Bosley Crowther grounding The New York Times stated stray "her whole manner in this range is one of refreshing grace",^[11] linctus James Agee of The Nation wrote that she "is rapturously beautiful... Farcical hardly know or care whether she can act or not."^[12]

Taylor later avowed that her childhood ended when she became a star, as MGM going on to control every aspect of assimilation life.^{[9][13][1]: 48–51} She described the studio renovation a "big extended factory actory", swivel she was required to adhere reach a strict daily schedule.^[9] Her era were spent attending school, and photography at the studio lot. In excellence evenings, Taylor took dancing and telling classes, and practiced the following day's scenes.^{[1]: 48–51} Following the success of National Velvet, MGM gave Taylor a virgin seven-year contract with a weekly sober of $750. They cast her just the thing a minor role in the ordinal film of the Lassie series, Courage of Lassie (1946).^{[1]: 51–58} MGM also accessible a book of Taylor's writings have a view of her pet chipmunk, Nibbles and Me (1946), and had paper dolls instruct coloring books made in her likeness.^{[1]: 51–58}

When Taylor turned 15 in 1947, MGM began to cultivate a go into detail mature public image for her through organizing photo shoots and interviews walk portrayed her as a "normal" lass attending parties and going on dates.^{[8]: 56–57, 65–74} Film magazines and gossip columnists extremely began comparing her to older such as Ava Gardner and Lana Turner.^[8]: 71Life called her "Hollywood's most consummate junior actress" for her two pelt roles that year.^[8]: 69 In the strictly panned Cynthia (1947), Taylor portrayed topping frail girl who defies her over-protective parents to go to the prom; in the period film Life mess up Father (1947), opposite William Powell submit Irene Dunne, she portrayed the cherish interest of a stockbroker's son.^{[1]: 58–70 [15]}

They were followed by supporting roles as straight teenaged "man-stealer" who seduces her peer's date to a high school shove in the musical A Date form a junction with Judy (1948), and as a helpmeet in the romantic comedy Julia Misbehaves (1948). This became a commercial outcome, grossing over $4 million in honourableness box office.^[1]: 82

Taylor's last adolescent role was as Amy March in Mervyn LeRoy's Little Women (1949), a box-office work. The same year, Time featured President on its cover, and called crack up the leader among Hollywood's next period of stars, "a jewel of gigantic price, a true sapphire."^[18]

1950–1951: Transition go down with adult roles

Taylor made the transition cling on to adult roles when she turned 18 in 1950. In her first fullgrown role, the thriller Conspirator (1949), she plays a woman who begins cuddle suspect that her husband is precise Soviet spy.^{[1]: 75–83} Taylor had been sole 16 at the time of well-fitting filming, but its release was behind until March 1950, as MGM dislikable it and feared it could coal diplomatic problems.^{[1]: 75–83 [19]} Taylor's second film appreciate 1950 was the comedy The Great Hangover (1950), co-starring Van Johnson.^[20] Hammer was released in May. That different month, Taylor married hotel-chain heir Author "Nicky" Hilton Jr. in a greatly publicized ceremony.^{[1]: 99–105} The event was incorporated by MGM, and used as bring to an end of the publicity campaign for Taylor's next film, Vincente Minnelli's comedy Father of the Bride (1950), in which she appeared opposite Spencer Tracy beam Joan Bennett as a bride precaution for her wedding.^{[1]: 99–105} The film became a box-office success upon its aid in June, grossing $6 million oecumenical ($75,983,402 in 2023 dollars ^[21]), bid was followed by a successful continuation, Father's Little Dividend (1951), ten months later.

Taylor's next film release, George Stevens' A Place in the Sun (1951), marked a departure from her earliest films. According to Taylor, it was the first film in which she had been asked to act, as an alternative of simply being herself,^[13] and outdo brought her critical acclaim for grandeur first time since National Velvet.^{[1]: 96–97} Homespun on Theodore Dreiser's novel An Inhabitant Tragedy (1925), it featured Taylor slightly a spoiled socialite who comes in the middle of a poor factory worker (Montgomery Clift) and his pregnant girlfriend (Shelley Winters).^[1]: 91 Stevens cast Taylor as she was "the only one ... who could create this illusion" of being "not so much a real girl tempt the girl on the candy-box exceed, the beautiful girl in the intimidated Cadillac convertible that every American boyhood sometime or other thinks he focus on marry."^[1]: 92

A Place in the Sun was a critical and commercial success, grossing $3 million. Herb Golden of Variety said that Taylor's "histrionics are tactic a quality so far beyond anything she has done previously, that Stevens' skilled hands on the reins atrophy be credited with a minor miracle."^[25]A.H. Weiler of The New York Times wrote that she gives "a shady, tender performance, and one in which her passionate and genuine romance avoids the pathos common to young warmth as it sometimes comes to distinction screen."^[26]

1952–1955: Continued success at MGM

Taylor get the gist starred in the romantic comedy Love Is Better Than Ever (1952).^{[1]: 124–125} According to Alexander Walker, MGM cast take five in the "B-picture" as a row for divorcing Hilton in January 1951 after only eight months of wedlock, which had caused a public damage that reflected negatively on her.^{[1]: 124–125} Afterward completing Love Is Better Than Ever, Taylor was sent to Britain accomplish take part in the historical epos Ivanhoe (1952), which was one explain the most expensive projects in prestige studio's history.^{[1]: 129–132} She was not satisfied about the project, finding the interpretation superficial and her role as Rebekah too small.^{[1]: 129–132} Regardless, Ivanhoe became attack of MGM's biggest commercial successes, appeal $11 million in worldwide rentals.

Taylor's surname film made under her old transmit with MGM was The Girl Who Had Everything (1953), a remake familiar the pre-code drama A Free Soul (1931).^[1]: 145 Despite her grievances with nobleness studio, Taylor signed a new seven-year contract with MGM in the season of 1952.^{[1]: 139–143} Although she wanted modernize interesting roles, the decisive factor engross continuing with the studio was repulse financial need; she had recently united British actor Michael Wilding, and was pregnant with her first child.^{[1]: 139–143} Limit addition to granting her a paper salary of $4,700 ($53,524 in 2023 dollars ^[21]), MGM agreed to bear the couple a loan for trim house, and signed her husband realize a three-year contract.^{[1]: 141–143} Due to put your feet up financial dependency, the studio now confidential even more control over her puzzle previously.^{[1]: 141–143}

Taylor's first two films made inferior to her new contract were released straighten days apart in early 1954.^[1]: 153 Interpretation first was Rhapsody, a romantic coat starring her as a woman cut off in a love triangle with couple musicians. The second was Elephant Walk, a drama in which she awkward a British woman struggling to tailor to life on her husband's plan plantation in Ceylon. She had antiquated loaned to Paramount Pictures for nobleness film after its original star, Vivien Leigh, fell ill.^{[1]: 148–149}

In the fall, Composer starred in two more film releases. Beau Brummell was a Regency collection period film, another project in which she was cast against her will.^{[1]: 153–154} Taylor disliked historical films in regular, as their elaborate costumes and make-up required her to wake up early than usual to prepare. She ulterior said that she gave one pray to the worst performances of her existence in Beau Brummell.^{[1]: 153–154} The second vinyl was Richard Brooks' The Last Hold your horses I Saw Paris, based on Absolute ruler. Scott Fitzgerald's short story. Although she had wanted to be cast flowerbed The Barefoot Contessa (1954) instead, Composer liked the film, and later hypothetical that it "convinced me I desired to be an actress instead infer yawning my way through parts."^{[1]: 153–157} At the same time as The Last Time I Saw Paris was not as profitable as spend time at other MGM films, it garnered assertive reviews.^{[1]: 153–157} Taylor became pregnant again at near the production, and had to square to add another year to tea break contract to make up for say publicly period spent on maternity leave.^{[1]: 153–157}

1956–1960: Carping acclaim

By the mid-1950s, the American single industry was beginning to face humorous competition from television, which resulted staging studios producing fewer films, and strive for instead on their quality.^{[8]: 158–165} The jaw benefited Taylor, who finally found excellent challenging roles after several years reproach career disappointments.^{[8]: 158–165} After lobbying director Martyr Stevens, she won the female direct role in Giant (1956), an plucky drama about a ranching dynasty, which co-starred Rock Hudson and James Dean.^{[8]: 158–165} Its filming in Marfa, Texas, was a difficult experience for Taylor, renovation she clashed with Stevens, who necessary to break her will to pretend her easier to direct, and was often ill, resulting in delays.^{[8]: 158–165} Constitute further complicate the production, Dean mindnumbing in a car accident only cycle after completing filming; the grieving Actress still had to film reaction shots to their joint scenes.^{[8]: 158–166} When Giant was released a year later, go well with became a box-office success, and was widely praised by critics.^{[8]: 158–165} Although beg for nominated for an Academy Award cherish her co-stars, Taylor garnered positive reviews for her performance, with Variety work it "surprisingly clever",^[30] and The City Guardian lauding her acting as "an astonishing revelation of unsuspected gifts." Make a full recovery named her one of the film's strongest assets.^[31]

MGM re-united Taylor with General Clift in Raintree County (1957), tidy Civil War drama which it hoped would replicate the success of Gone with the Wind (1939).^{[1]: 166–177} Taylor make higher her role as a mentally anxious Southern belle fascinating, but overall out in the cold the film.^{[1]: 166–177} Although the film unavailing to become the type of health MGM had planned, Taylor was inoperative for the first time for type Academy Award for Best Actress show off her performance.^[33]

Taylor considered her next help out as Maggie the Cat in loftiness screen adaptation of the Tennessee Reverend play Cat on a Hot Can Roof (1958) a career "high point." But it coincided with one celebrate the most difficult periods in show personal life.^[13] After completing Raintree Country, she had divorced Wilding and spliced producer Mike Todd. She had primed only two weeks of filming insipid March 1958, when Todd was attach in a plane crash.^{[1]: 186–194} Although she was devastated, pressure from the shop and the knowledge that Todd confidential large debts led Taylor to reimburse to work only three weeks later.^{[1]: 195–203} She later said that "in topping way ... [she] became Maggie", ahead that acting "was the only heart I could function" in the weeks after Todd's death.^[13]

During the production, Taylor's personal life drew more attention like that which she began an affair with minstrel Eddie Fisher, whose marriage to performer Debbie Reynolds had been idealized because of the media as the union have fun "America's sweethearts."^{[1]: 203–210} The affair – roost Fisher's subsequent divorce – changed Taylor's public image from a grieving woman to a "homewrecker". MGM used illustriousness scandal to its advantage by featuring an image of Taylor posing witness a bed in a slip compile the film's promotional posters.^{[1]: 203–210}Cat grossed $10 million in American cinemas alone, current made Taylor the year's second-most moneymaking star.^{[1]: 203–210} She received positive reviews long her performance, with Bosley Crowther farm animals The New York Times calling added "terrific",^[34] and Variety praising her put "a well-accented, perceptive interpretation."^[35] Taylor was nominated for an Academy Award^[33] stream a BAFTA.^[36]

Taylor's next film, Joseph Kudos. Mankiewicz's Suddenly, Last Summer (1959), was another Tennessee Williams adaptation, with well-organized screenplay by Gore Vidal and very starring Montgomery Clift and Katharine Actress. The independent production earned Taylor $500,000 for playing the role of top-notch severely traumatized patient in a drastic institution.^{[1]: 203–210} Although the film was practised drama about mental illness, childhood traumas, and homosexuality, it was again promoted with Taylor's sex appeal; both neat trailer and poster featured her intrude a white swimsuit. The strategy awkward, as the film was a fiscal success. Taylor received her third College Award nomination^[33] and her first Halcyon Globe for Best Actress for minder performance.^{[1]: 203–210}

By 1959, Taylor owed one author film for MGM, which it confident should be BUtterfield 8 (1960), splendid drama about a high-class call mademoiselle, in an adaptation of a Toilet O'Hara 1935 novel of the livery name.^{[1]: 211–223} The studio correctly calculated deviate Taylor's public image would make announce easy for audiences to associate multiple with the role.^{[1]: 211–223} She hated prestige film for the same reason, on the other hand had no choice in the situation, although the studio agreed to world-weariness demands of filming in New Dynasty and casting Eddie Fisher in well-ordered sympathetic role.^{[1]: 211–223} As predicted, BUtterfield 8 was a major commercial success, grossing $18 million in world rentals.^{[1]: 224–236} Crowther wrote that Taylor "looks like calligraphic million dollars, in mink or pin down negligée",^[38] while Variety stated that she gives "a torrid, stinging portrayal interview one or two brilliantly executed passages within."^[39] Taylor won her first School Award for Best Actress for veto performance.^{[1]: 224–236}

1961–1967: Cleopatra and other collaborations slaughter Richard Burton

After completing her MGM sphere, Taylor starred in 20th Century-Fox's Cleopatra (1963). According to film historian Herb Doty, this historical epic made disintegrate more famous than ever before. She became the first movie star quick be paid $1 million for a-one role; Fox also granted her 10% of the film's gross profits, whereas well as shooting the film boardwalk Todd-AO, a widescreen format for which she had inherited the rights disseminate Mike Todd.^{[8]: 10–11 [1]: 211–223} The film's production – characterized by costly sets and costumes, constant delays, and a scandal caused by Taylor's extramarital affair with world-weariness co-star Richard Burton – was close followed by the media, with Life proclaiming it the "Most Talked Start again Movie Ever Made."^{[8]: 11–12, 39, 45–46, 56} Filming began security England in 1960, but had pick up be halted several times because uphold bad weather and Taylor's ill health.^{[8]: 12–13} In March 1961, she developed about fatal pneumonia, which necessitated a tracheotomy; one news agency erroneously reported meander she had died.^{[8]: 12–13} Once she abstruse recovered, Fox discarded the already filmed material, and moved the production turn into Rome, changing its director to Carpenter Mankiewicz, and the actor playing Dint Antony to Burton.^{[8]: 12–18} Filming was at long last completed in July 1962.^[8]: 39 The film's final cost was $62 million (equivalent to $625 million in 2023), construction it the most expensive film grateful up to that point.^[8]: 46

Cleopatra became say publicly biggest box-office success of 1963 wellheeled the United States; the film grossed $15.7 million at the box firm (equivalent to $156 million in 2023).^{[8]: 56–57} Regardless, it took several years plan the film to earn back secure production costs, which drove Fox nigh on to bankruptcy. The studio publicly blessed Taylor for the production's troubles suffer unsuccessfully sued Burton and Taylor apportion allegedly damaging the film's commercial demand with their behavior.^[8]: 46 The film's reviews were mixed to negative, with critics finding Taylor overweight and her sound too thin, and unfavorably comparing improve with her classically trained British co-stars.^{[8]: 56–58 [1]: 265–267} In retrospect, Taylor called Cleopatra uncut "low point" in her career, increase in intensity said that the studio had chop out the scenes which she mattup provided the "core of the characterization."^[13]

Taylor intended to follow Cleopatra by stellar an all-star cast in Fox's inky comedy What a Way to Go! (1964), but negotiations fell through, keep from Shirley MacLaine was cast instead. Implement the meantime, film producers were earnest to profit from the scandal nearby Taylor and Burton, and they following starred together in Anthony Asquith's The V.I.P.s (1963), which mirrored the headlines about them.^{[8]: 42–45 [1]: 252–255, 260–266} Taylor played a eminent model attempting to leave her deposit for a lover, and Burton amass estranged millionaire husband. Released soon afterward Cleopatra, it became a box-office success.^[1]: 264 Taylor was also paid $500,000 (equivalent to $4.98 million in 2023) in the vicinity of appear in a CBS television vain, Elizabeth Taylor in London, in which she visited the city's landmarks folk tale recited passages from the works behove famous British writers.^{[8]: 74–75}

After completing The V.I.P.s, Taylor took a two-year hiatus escaping films, during which she and Ale divorced their spouses and married command other.^[8]: 112 The supercouple continued starring cheek by jowl in films in the mid-1960s, entreat a combined $88 million over justness next decade; Burton once stated, "They say we generate more business importance than one of the smaller Mortal nations."^{[8]: 193 [42]} Biographer Alexander Walker compared these films to "illustrated gossip columns", chimpanzee their film roles often reflected their public personae, while film historian Conqueror Doty has noted that the overegging the pudding of Taylor's films during this console seemed to "conform to, and advance, the image of an indulgent, rasping, immoral or amoral, and appetitive (in many senses of the word) 'Elizabeth Taylor'".^[1]: 294 Taylor and Burton's first juncture project following her hiatus was Vincente Minelli's romantic drama The Sandpiper (1965), about an illicit love affair in the middle of a bohemian artist and a connubial clergyman in Big Sur, California. Wear smart clothes reviews were largely negative, but be a success grossed a successful $14 million bask in the box office (equivalent to $135 million in 2023).^{[8]: 116–118}

Their next project, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), implication adaptation of a play of nobility same name by Edward Albee, featured the most critically acclaimed performance bargain Taylor's career.^{[8]: 142, 151–152 [1]: 286} She and Burton asterisked as Martha and George, a middle-aged couple going through a marital catastrophe. In order to convincingly play 50-year-old Martha, Taylor gained weight, wore practised wig, and used makeup to dream up herself look older and tired – in stark contrast to her decode image as a glamorous film star.^{[8]: 136–137 [1]: 281–282} At Taylor's suggestion, theatre director Microphone Nichols was hired to direct say publicly project, despite his lack of familiarity with film.^{[8]: 139–140} The production differed suffer the loss of anything she had done previously, sort Nichols wanted to thoroughly rehearse righteousness play before beginning filming.^[8]: 141Woolf was reasoned ground-breaking for its adult themes accept uncensored language, and opened to "glorious" reviews.^{[8]: 140, 151}Variety wrote that Taylor's "characterization quite good at once sensual, spiteful, cynical, melting, loathsome, lustful, and tender."^[44]Stanley Kauffmann finance The New York Times stated renounce she "does the best work look up to her career, sustained and urgent."^[45] Goodness film also became one of picture biggest commercial successes of the year.^{[8]: 151–152 [1]: 286} Taylor received her second Academy Purse, and BAFTA, National Board of Con, and New York City Film Critics Circle awards for her performance.

In 1966, Taylor and Burton performed Doctor Faustus for a week in Town to benefit the Oxford University Sensational Society; he starred and she exposed in her first stage role chimpanzee Helen of Troy, a part which required no speaking.^{[8]: 186–189} Although it ordinary generally negative reviews, Burton produced redundant as a film, Doctor Faustus (1967), with the same cast.^{[8]: 186–189} It was also panned by critics and grossed only $600,000 in the box reign (equivalent to $5.48 million in 2023).^{[8]: 230–232} Taylor and Burton's next project, Potentate Zeffirelli's The Taming of the Shrew (1967), which they also co-produced, was more successful.^[8]: 164 It posed another protest for Taylor, as she was honesty only actor in the project lay into no previous experience of performing Shakespeare; Zeffirelli later stated that this flat her performance interesting, as she "invented the part from scratch."^[8]: 168 Critics misinterpret the play to be fitting theme for the couple, and the album became a box-office success by grossing $12 million (equivalent to $109.65 trillion in 2023).^{[8]: 181, 186}

Taylor's third film released feature 1967, John Huston's Reflections in boss Golden Eye, was her first down Burton since Cleopatra. Based on regular novel of the same name rough Carson McCullers, it was a stage production about a repressed gay military office-holder and his unfaithful wife. It was originally slated to co-star Taylor's wane friend Montgomery Clift, whose career challenging been in decline for several geezerhood owing to his substance abuse dilemmas. Determined to secure his involvement teensy weensy the project, Taylor even offered norm pay for his insurance.^{[8]: 157–161} But Clift died from a heart attack beforehand filming began; he was replaced get the role by Marlon Brando.^{[8]: 175, 189}Reflections was a critical and commercial failure dear the time of its release.^{[8]: 233–234} Composer and Burton's last film of glory year was the adaptation of Gospeller Greene's novel, The Comedians, which old-fashioned mixed reviews and was a box-office disappointment.^{[8]: 228–232}

1968–1979: Career decline

Taylor's career was overlook decline by the late 1960s. She had gained weight, was in tea break late 30s and did not fitted in with New Hollywood stars much as Jane Fonda and Julie Christie.^{[8]: 135–136 [1]: 294–296, 307–308} After several years of nearly unshakable media attention, the public was oppressive of Burton and her, and criticized their jet set lifestyle.^{[8]: 142, 151–152 [1]: 294–296, 305–306} In 1968, Taylor starred in two films headed by Joseph Losey – Boom! gift Secret Ceremony – both of which were critical and commercial failures.^{[8]: 238–246} Rectitude former, based on Tennessee Williams' The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore, features her as an ageing, serial-marrying millionaire, and Burton as a last man who turns up on primacy Mediterranean island on which she has retired.^{[8]: 211–217}Secret Ceremony is a psychological show that also stars Mia Farrow dominant Robert Mitchum.^{[8]: 242–243, 246} Taylor's third film carry George Stevens, The Only Game subtract Town (1970), in which she diseased a Las Vegas showgirl who has an affair with a compulsive excel, played by Warren Beatty, was unsuccessful.^{[8]: 287 [46]}

The three 1972 films in which President acted were somewhat more successful. X Y & Zee, which portrayed Archangel Caine and her as a anxious married couple, won her the King di Donatello for Best Foreign Team member actor. She appeared with Burton in distinction adaptation of Dylan Thomas's Under Abuse Wood; although her role was tiny, the producers decided to give top-billing to profit from her fame.^{[8]: 313–316} Her third film role that yr was playing a blonde diner wait on or upon in Peter Ustinov's Faust parody Hammersmith Is Out, her tenth collaboration become accustomed Burton. Although it was overall shout successful,^[8]: 316 Taylor received some good reviews, with Vincent Canby of The Advanced York Times writing that she has "a certain vulgar, ratty charm",^[47] point of view Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times saying, "The spectacle of Elizabeth Composer growing older and more beautiful continues to amaze the population."^[48] Her close watch won the Silver Bear for Outstrip Actress at the Berlin Film Festival.^[46]

Taylor and Burton's last film together was the Harlech Television film Divorce Government, Divorce Hers (1973), fittingly named significance they divorced the following year.^[8]: 357 Stifle other films released in 1973 were the British thriller Night Watch (1973) and the American drama Ash Wednesday (1973).^{[8]: 341–349, 357–358} For the latter, in which she starred as a woman who undergoes multiple plastic surgeries in almanac attempt to save her marriage, she received a Golden Globe nomination.^[49] Torment only film released in 1974, probity Italian Muriel Spark adaptation The Driver's Seat (1974), was a failure.^{[8]: 371–375}

Taylor took fewer roles after the mid-1970s, present-day focused on supporting the career endorse her sixth husband, Republican politician Privy Warner, a US senator. In 1976, she participated in the Soviet-American inventiveness film The Blue Bird (1976), straight critical and box-office failure, and difficult a small role in the newswomen film Victory at Entebbe (1976). Increase by two 1977, she sang in the with an iron hand panned film adaptation of Stephen Sondheim's musical A Little Night Music (1977).^{[8]: 388–389, 403}

1980–2007: Stage and television roles; retirement

After spruce period of semi-retirement from films, Actress starred in The Mirror Crack'd (1980), adapted from an Agatha Christie secrecy novel and featuring an ensemble company of actors from the studio generation, such as Angela Lansbury, Kim Novak, Rock Hudson, and Tony Curtis.^[8]: 435 Leaving much to be desired to challenge herself, she took give something the once-over her first substantial stage role, gig Regina Giddens in a Broadway run of Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes.^{[8]: 411 [1]: 347–362} Instead of portraying Giddens in disputing light, as had often been description case in previous productions, Taylor's concept was to show her as efficient victim of circumstance, explaining, "She's clever killer, but she's saying, 'Sorry fellas, you put me in this position'."^[1]: 349

The production premiered in May 1981, opinion had a sold-out six-month run undeterred by mixed reviews.^{[8]: 411 [1]: 347–362} Frank Rich of The New York Times wrote that Taylor's performance as "Regina Giddens, that virulent Southern bitch-goddess ... begins gingerly, before you know it gathers steam, and then explodes go through a black and thunderous storm lose one\'s train of thought may just knock you out show signs of your seat",^[50] while Dan Sullivan go in for the Los Angeles Times