Elizabeth Taylor: A Great Humanitarian
Lady Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor, one of the finest actresses of all time, a diva of the golden era of Hollywood, a fashion icon, two Oscar winners, and a brilliant humanitarian, did not have an ignominious end to her career.
Elizabeth was born in the United Kingdom on this day in 1932, although her parents were Americans.
They went back to their origins right before World War II broke out. Even though the United States was participating in the conflict, it was not fought on their soil, thus Elizabeth's parents believed it was safer for their children to reside there than in Europe.
Little Elizabeth had already shown an interest in the film industry shortly after her arrival. Her mother, Sarah Sothern, was also an actor, therefore she inherited the skill. It didn't take long for her to land her first part, thanks to her exceptional physical attractiveness. She made her acting debut at the age of 10 in the film There's One Born Every Minute.
Her beauty, on the other hand, proved to be a double-edged sword, as the directors refused to cast her in any more parts since they believed she had the face of a kid.
Elizabeth did appear much older at the age of 10, and she purportedly suffered from the dysthymic syndrome, which caused her to develop two rows of lashes, giving the appearance that she was wearing makeup when she wasn't.
She had another chance to act a few years later, owing to her father's friendship and her British accent, and she went on to perform one of her most well-known parts in her career, Lassie Come Home.
And, while she had a successful career and continued to perform until the early 2000s, her personal life was not as ideal. She has also been accused of marrying seven different guys eight times.
She married her first husband, the heir to the Hilton hotel empire when she was just 17 years old. The marriage did not last, and it was the same for the others, whether it was due to a divorce or a spouse's death. Richard Burton, on the other hand, had a unique bond with her.
Despite her issues, Elizabeth was always thinking about others. She was well conscious of her affluence and was one of the first celebrities to warn of the increasing danger of AIDS as it expanded over the world in the 1980s.
People went quiet as she gave speeches to hundreds of thousands of people at concerts and in front of small screens, warning them about the risks of AIDS. She then donated monthly to the American AIDS Research Foundation and established the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. All of the money acquired from the sale of her jewelry after her death was paid to this last foundation, for a total of 115.9 million US dollars.
For all, she has done not only to recognize AIDS but also for the film world, in 2000 she was named Lady of the British Empire, the highest title anyone who is not a member of the British royal family can receive.
