Hollywood Child Stars

Elizabeth Taylor: From Child Star to Leading Lady

Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was born in London on February 27, 1932. Her American parents were very well-connected, and their ties to Hollywood would open the door for Elizabeth’s life as one of Hollywood’s most glamorous and well-known stars.

Universal and MGM
Elizabeth Taylor becoming a child star was not a surprise for anyone as family, friends, celebrities and strangers alike were in awe of Liz’s natural beauty. Since they lived in Los Angeles, the only logical thing to do was to introduce young Liz to film. Soon, both MGM and Universal Studios were offering Elizabeth contracts, and at the age of nine, she appeared in Universal’s 1942 film ‘There’s One Born Every Minute’.

Elizabeth’s career at MGM would prove to be short-lived, however. Apparently, her serious eyes and mature expressions gave her the appearance of being much older than her age, a trait that MGM found undesirable for a child actress. Nevertheless, her father’s networking skills would save the day yet again. His friendship with MGM producer Sam Marx may have influenced the studio’s decision to offer Elizabeth a long-term contract in 1943 beginning with the production of ‘Lassie Come Home’. This was the onset of her stint as a child star which would last well into her adolescence and earn her the nickname “One-Shot Liz” for her knack at enacting a scene in just one take. For the next seven years, she would star in numerous films, most notably ‘Jane Eyre’ (1944), ‘National Velvet’ (1944), and ‘Little Women’ (1949).

Elizabeth Taylor - Leading Lady
Unlike some of her contemporaries such as Judy Garland and Shirley Temple, Elizabeth had no problem at all assimilating into the role of an adult actress. At the age of 16, Liz landed her first “grown-up” role as a 21 year old in the film ‘Conspirator’ (1949). Her voluptuous figure, mature countenance, and bedroom eyes made her a natural for the dramatic romance genre, which was so popular at the time. Some of her first adult roles included Kay Banks in ‘Father of the Bride’ (1950), Angela Vickers in ‘A Place in the Sun’ (1951), and Rebecca in ‘Ivanhoe’ (1952).

For four consecutive years, Elizabeth Taylor was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her roles in ‘Giant’ (1956), ‘Raintree County’ (1957), ‘Cat on A Hot Tin Roof’ (1958), and ‘Suddenly Last Summer’ (1959). In 1960, she was finally awarded the honor for her performance in ‘Butterfield 8’. That same year, she became the highest paid actress in Hollywood, signing a million-dollar contract with 20th Century Fox to star opposite her future husband Richard Burton in the spectacular film ‘Cleopatra’. In 1966, she won her second Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal of Martha in ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’  For the next seven years, she would enjoy her reign as Hollywood’s most beloved leading lady, appearing in over a dozen films, many of them with her then-husband Richard Burton.

In the 1980s, Liz debuted on Broadway and West End with stage productions of ‘The Little Foxes’, ‘Private Lives’, and ‘Helen of Troy’.

Final Roles
Elizabeth Taylor’s career lasted well into her Golden years as she gracefully transitioned from leading lady to Hollywood legend. Her final film appearances included Agatha Christie’s ‘The Mirror Crack’d’ (1980), ‘Malice in Wonderland’ (1985), ‘The Flintstones’ (1994), and finally a made-for-TV movie, ‘These Old Broads’ (2001).  She also played in several television series including the soap operas ‘All My Children’ and ‘General Hospital’.

Elizabeth Taylor spent the final years of her life as an admirable political and humanitarian activist/spokesperson until she succumbed to congestive heart failure on March 23, 2011 at the age of 79.

Elizabeth Taylor Biography
Elizabeth Taylor: From Child Star to Leading Lady