Early Life
Taylor was born in London to American parents, moved to Los Angeles when World War II began, and became a child star in National Velvet (1944).
Career
She won Academy Awards for Best Actress for BUtterfield 8 (1960) and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966). Other famous roles include Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) and the title role in Cleopatra (1963), during which she became one of the first actresses paid $1 million for a film.
Legacy
Taylor helped found the American Foundation for AIDS Research in 1985 and later created her own AIDS foundation. She was made a Dame in 2000 and died in 2011 at age 79.
Sources and further reading
Last updated: 2026-09-24