On This Day

Birthday of Elizabeth Taylor

February 27th 1932

11:18 27 February 2024

British-American actress Elizabeth Taylor was born on this day in 1932. Taylor made her screen debut with a minor role in 'There's One Born Every Minute' (1942). Her breakthrough role came with 'National Velvet' (1944) which made her a Hollywood teen star. Mature roles followed in the 1950s with acclaimed performances in 'Father of the Bride' (1950), 'A Place in the Sun' (1951), 'Giant' (1956), 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' (1958) and 'Suddenly, Last Summer' (1959). She won her first Best Actress Academy Award for 'BUtterfield 8' (1960).

During the production of 'Cleopatra' (1963), Taylor and co-star Richard Burton began an extra-marital affair which led to the first of two highly publicized marriages in 1964. Taylor and Burton starred in 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) for which she won her second Best Actress Oscar as well as receiving some of the best reviews of her career. Her acting career began to decline in the late 1960s, although she continued to star in films.

Later film credits include 'Hammersmith is Out' (1972), 'The Blue Bird' (1976), 'A Little Night Music' (1977), 'The Mirror Crack'd' (1980) and 'The Flintstones' (1994). After many years of ill health, Elizabeth Taylor died from congestive heart failure in 2011 aged 79. A screen legend of Classic Hollywood cinema.