Elizabeth Taylor had quite the life: From her early success as a child star, to her critical acclaim as a young actress, to her eight marriages and lavish lifestyle with fellow actor Richard Burton. She lived her life in the public eye, first as an accomplished performer and fascinating media figure and later as a philanthropist. We know as much about her life as we do any royal. Indeed, one could consider her American royalty, as her life certainly had its equal share of drama and luxury. There's a reason we still look back at her with awe and delight: She fascinates us just as much today as she did in the past. Below, 32 iconic photos of Elizabeth Taylor.
1939
Per the original photo caption, Elizabeth is 7 years old here. Her parents were an actor and an art dealer—and they had an impressive social circle. They moved from London to Los Angeles around this time out of fear of the impending war (Elizabeth actually had dual citizenship!).
1944
Elizabeth was a child actor, who started working in 1941. Her breakout came in National Velvet, as a female horse-rider who longs to compete in the Grand National steeplechase (which is male-only); this is a still from the movie where she cradles two puppies. She was particularly praised by critics for the role.
Circa 1944
Elizabeth, seen here in a headshot at age 13, was known early on for her vivid blue eyes and looking older than her actual age. At this point she was under long-term contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and she later described the experience as difficult—and that her childhood ended when she became an actress.
1946
Elizabeth actually had a very small role in Lassie Come Home (1943), but this would have been from her small role in the third film, Courage of Lassie (1946). It wouldn't be long before the studio began cultivating a more adult public persona a couple years later when Elizabeth was a teen.
1948
This image, from Vogue, explains in the caption that Elizabeth is "wearing a quilted skirt of Merrimack cotton velveteen with a rhinestone-buttoned blouse of imported Swiss challis by Hi-Dee." She would have been about 16 here, but her stylists often dressed her as more adult.
1948
Elizabeth on our right (in a, frankly, glorious and hilarious red wig) is part of an excellent ensemble in this adaptation of Little Women. Margaret O'Brien, Janet Leigh, June Allyson, and Mary Astor all starred in it. Not surprisingly, Elizabeth played the feisty and temperamental Amy.
1948
In what's probably a promotional or newspaper photo, Elizabeth stands in Trafalgar Square, London, with a pigeon on her head. (Because she was born in Britain and lived in London for a time, there's an instant connection between place and person here.)
Circa 1949
Per the caption, Elizabeth is 17 here and apparently an avid pet-lover: "One of her pets, a golden cocker named 'Amy' after Liz's role in Little Women, is the costar in our series. 'Amy,' like any small fry prototype of the human world, has a definite allergy to soap and water. Liz, dressed for the chore in blue jeans, makes a flying tackle after Amy, who tried a fast getaway at the sight of the tub."
1950
Did you know that Elizabeth was married to a member of the Hilton family? This was her first wedding, to hotel heir Conrad "Nicky" Hilton Jr., and she was only 18. The union was highly publicized by MGM, which is why we have these photos; the couple would divorce in 1951, which was considered scandalous.
Circa 1950
Around this time, Elizabeth was transitioning to more adult roles, with A Place in the Sun (1951) being a more mature film that earned her acclaim as a more serious thespian. Not surprisingly, her striking features were a part of the studio's marketing of her.
Circa 1950s
I appreciate the whimsy of this photo; per the original caption, this is a "publicity portrait of [Elizabeth] in a yellow dress as she stands in front of an artificial Christmas tree amidst a pile of opened presents, including a television set, clothing, and a radio, circa 1950s."
1955
If you didn't know, Elizabeth starred alongside James Dean before his tragic death in 1955, only days after finishing shooting. The resulting film, Giant (1956), was a success and Elizabeth gained positive reviews as her portrayal of a socialite married to a wealthy rancher (Rock Hudson).
Circa Mid-1950s
Here, Elizabeth is pictured with her sons, Michael (born in 1953), and Christopher (born in 1955). Elizabeth had married British actor Michael Wilding in 1952. They had an age gap of 20 years, and the couple divorced in 1957. By this point, Elizabeth would be more mature and self-assured.
1957
Elizabeth's third marriage was a dazzling affair; she married film producer Mike Todd in 1957 (and was pregnant with their child). He knew how to generate media attention in their relationship. Here, they're at their honeymoon in Acapulco, Mexico. Devastatingly, he died in a plane crash in 1958.
1958
Here, in a still from the Tennessee Williams adaptation Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Elizabeth was reaching a career zenith as "Maggie the Cat." It was a difficult production, as her husband Mike Todd died mid-shoot and she had to come back to the production after a matter of weeks.
1958
This might be one of Elizabeth's most famous photos ever (and a symbol of the scandal that followed her for much of her life). She stands next to singer Eddie Fisher, married to her best friend Debbie Reynolds (on our right). A grief-stricken Elizabeth would start an affair with Fisher, who would leave Reynolds for her the year after this was taken.
1959
Right around the time her personal life was experiencing some turbulence, Elizabeth was reaching full "bombshell" status with the Tennessee Williams adaptation Suddenly Last Summer. Her costumes, including this daring one-piece swimsuit, were an important part of the film's marketing (even though her actual role in the film was as a traumatized woman).
1960
Playing a callgirl in BUtterfield 8, Elizabeth was not a fan of the role. It was her last with MGM and earned her an Oscar nomination; the marketing of the role combined with the fact that it starred her soon-to-be fourth husband Eddie Fisher, helped make the movie commercially successful.
1961
Here, shown clutching her Oscar for Best Actress for BUtterfield 8 with husband Eddie Fisher, Elizabeth was experiencing massive career success. (She correctly assumed that audiences would connect her personal life to the character, which is why she wasn't particularly enamored with the role).
1961
In one of Elizabeth's most famous photos—and not one for a movie—she sits on husband Eddie Fisher's lap while Richard Burton looks on while they're all on the set of Cleopatra. If you don't happen to know about one of the biggest celebrity scandals to ever happen, "Liz and Dick" had met on this set and begun an affair.
1962
For better or worse, Cleopatra might have been Elizabeth's most indelible role. She was the first star to be paid $1 million for the part; she met the love of her life (and fifth and sixth husband, since the couple married twice) Richard Burton; it was the most expensive movie ever made to that point; and the media was ravenous for all the set details.
1963
Here, Elizabeth is attending a benefit premiere for Lawrence of Arabia. She and Richard Burton would get married the following year and begin a long personal and professional collaboration, starring in 11 movies together including The V.I.P.s (1963). The public disapproved of the union, but many of their movies were successes.
1964
Elizabeth and Richard would be married twice; this was their first union, a private ceremony, in Montreal, Canada, at the Ritz-Carlton. The pair would be known for their jet-setting lifestyle, and their coupling fundamentally changed how the media reported on celebrities.
1965
Here, on the set of The Sandpiper in 1965, this was the third of 11 movies starring the couple. The two play a young single mother and a married clergyman who begin a torrid affair—and the film received largely negative reviews but was a commercial success.
1966
The fourth collaboration between Elizabeth and Richard might be their most notable and certainly was their most acclaimed: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The two played an acrimonious married couple and were made to look older than their actual ages (which was a change from Elizabeth's glamorous film star persona). It was reviewed exceptionally well, and she won an Oscar.
1967
Here, in a quiet moment, Elizabeth lies on a bed with her then 5-year-old daughter Maria Burton. Elizabeth had a daughter "Liza" with Mike Todd and adopted a German orphan named Maria; Richard formally adopted both children when he married Elizabeth the first time.
1967
In the midst of her film collaborations with Richard Burton, Elizabeth sports a pearled and flowered headdress, as well as a bejeweled dress and emerald necklace. She wasn't shy about playing into the media perception of her being over-the-top with her celebrity husband.
1968
Perhaps the most famous piece of jewelry Richard ever gifted Elizabeth, the 69.42-carat "Taylor-Burton Diamond" was so enormous that Elizabeth converted it from a ring to a necklace and wore it on multiple occasions. After their second divorce, Elizabeth sold the diamond for an estimated $3 to $5 million.
1973
Here, holding their granddaughter Leyla in Gstaad, Switzerland, Elizabeth and Richard were reaching the last of their collaborations with Divorce His, Divorce Hers in 1973. The two would divorce—for good—the following year, and Taylor's career would be in decline.
1992
From the '80s onward, Elizabeth would mostly act on television; she remained a public figure and was an incredible activist for the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Here she is with Elton John before the latter performed at Shea Stadium. She was known for being an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.
1996
Here, attending the amfAR Annual Cinema Against AIDS event in 1996, Elizabeth received a number of honors for her philanthropic work. She would act in few roles during this decade and formally retire in the early '00s. She died of congestive heart failure in 2011.
2011
Upon her death, Elizabeth's collections of clothing, jewelry, and other valuables were auctioned at Christie's—a fitting end for one of the most glittery stars to ever walk the earth—to benefit her AIDS foundation. This Andy Warhol of her from 1963 now lives in the Art Institute of Chicago.
