10 glamorous facts about Elizabeth Taylor
Image: 20th Century Fox
When it comes to Hollywood starlets, they just don’t make 'em like they used to. Maybe it’s because social media allows us to take a look into the personal lives of our favorite actors, but despite being just as rich and just as famous, modern-day stars just don’t seem as lavish.
While old Hollywood was the epitome of glitz and opulence, there were few stars who shined brighter than Elizabeth Taylor. Known for her multiple marriages, collection of jewels and humanitarian efforts, Taylor died in 2011, but her memory lives on.
Here are some fun facts you may not have known about her.
She had twice the normal number of eyelashes
Was there anything more stunning than Taylor's eyes? While most women enhance their eyelash line with mascara and falsies, Taylor didn't have to. She had genetic mutation. According to Slate, this mutation, known as lymphedema-distichiassyndrome was caused by a gene called FOXC2. Apparently, 7 percent of people with this mutation also have congenital heart disease, and Taylor did have heart troubles that led to her death.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
She's been on the cover of 'Life Magazine' a record-number of times
Taylor landed her first Life cover at the age of 15 and was on the cover 14 times throughout her life. She's been in over a thousand magazines as well, and the only person who's graced the cover of People solo more than she has is Princess Diana.
Image: Life Magazine
MGM paid for her first wedding
When Taylor married Conrad Hilton Jr. in 1950, her film career had taken off and he had a sizable fortune due to his father’s hotel chain. Though neither of them would have struggled for foot the bill for their 600-guest affair, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer actually paid for the whole thing.
Image: AP Photo
She was unapologetic about her affair with Eddie Fisher
When word got out that Taylor was having an affair with Fisher, who was married to Debbie Reynolds at the time, Taylor released a statement saying, "Eddie is not in love with Debbie and never has been [...] You can't break up a happy marriage. Debbie and Eddie's never has been." Fisher claimed that his and Reynolds' relationship had been rocky since before Taylor entered the picture.
Image: AP Photo
'Cleopatra' made her a million
Cleopatra wasn't just decked out in gold, the film also allowed Taylor to deck herself out. She was the first woman to make a million dollars for a single movie. Granted, Cleopatra filmed for over two years and the movie itself ended up being over four hours long, so she was probably paid accordingly due to the time she put in.
Image: 20th Century Fox
A congresswoman tried to ban Taylor and Burton from the U.S.
Taylor was no stranger to making headlines, but the scandal that arose from Taylor and Richard Burton's affair on the set of Cleopatra caused such an uproar that a Georgia congresswoman asked the attorney general to forbid them from re-entering the country. The Vatican even got involved by printing an open letter scolding them for their "erotic vagrancy."
Image: 20th Century Fox
'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf' is her proudest work
Before she died in 2011, Taylor gave an interview to Us Weekly and wrote 25 little-known facts. One of those facts was that she's most proud of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. It was also the most highly acclaimed movie of her career.
Image: Warner Bros.
Taylor would have married Burton again
Most of Taylor's marriages were tumultuous, but her relationship with Burton was the most notorious. They got married twice and divorced twice, but Taylor said that if he hadn't died in 1984, she would have married him again. She considered Burton and Mike Todd the loves of her life.
Image: ABC
She fought for HIV/AIDS research
When the AIDS epidemic hit in the '80s, Taylor was one of the first celebrities to throw support behind research. In addition to co-founding the American Foundation for AIDS Research and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, her massive jewelry collection was auctioned off after she died and the money went toward the cause.
She was a dame
In 2000, Taylor was awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II, alongside Julie Andrews. Her Twitter handle was even @DameElizabeth. Taylor was actually born in England to American parents, but her family moved to the U.S. when World War II broke out.
Images: AP Photo