Elizabeth Taylor Dead at 79 from Congestive Heart Failure

Love her or hate her, there is no denying that actress Elizabeth Taylor left an indelible mark upon Hollywood. The girl with the unusual violet eyes, beautiful face and quick wit has died at the age of 79.

Taylor was one of the few child actors that easily transitioned into adulthood without missing a single beat. However, her personal life wasn't as easy. She made some questionable choices along the way like having an affair with her best friend Debbie Reynold's husband, Eddie Fisher.

Her quest for love led her in a lot of different directions but she apparently she never found what she was looking for. She married seven different men in her lifetime, including actor Richard Burton, who she married twice.

Her first husband was Conrad Hilton. They married in 1950 while Liz was still a teen. Perhaps that is why they divorced less than a year later.

Next came Michael Wilding. They married in 1952 but divorced just five years later despite the fact they had two children -- Christopher and Michael, Jr.

Next came Mike Todd who she married only one month after her divorce from Wilding. They had one daughter also named Elizabeth. Unfortunately, Todd was killed in a plane crash shortly after their first anniversary. Many claim Taylor never got over his loss.

After breaking up the Reynolds/Fisher marriage, she married Fisher in the spring of 1959. They divorced five years later in the spring of 1964.

Taylor met Burton during the filming of "Cleopatra" and their torrid affair made headlines across the world. The Pope even went so far as to denounce Taylor and Burton publicaly.

After divorcing Fisher, Liz married the man most believed was her soul mate. She and Burton took the plunge in 1964. It was to be her longest marriage; lasting for 10 years. They had one child, Maria. Taylor went on to marry Burton a second time in 1975 but that union lasted less than a year.

Just four months later she married Virginia Senator John Warner and seemed content to live on their horse ranch until 1982. She then divorced Warner and moved to an unlikely match with construction worker Larry Fortensky in 1991. They divorced within five years.

Taylor's health issues were legendary. During the filming of "Cleopatra" she held up production on more than one occasion because of a chronic back problem. She suffered more than 40 operations over her lifetime and was even pronounced dead on one occasion.

The star was also known for abusing both drugs and alcohol, which led to another slew of health issues. She became addicted to perscription pain pills; a problem she tried to break on more than one occasion.

At the height of her career, Taylor was in big demand. At one point she was the highest paid actress in Hollywood. However, the amount she could demand for a film began to slide as she became known as being difficult to handle and problem ridden.

Eventually, Taylor all but left the silver screen, taking up a more important cause in which she believed. After losing dear friend Rock Hudson, with whom she starred in the film "Giant" to Aids, Liz became determined to find a cure for the disease. It was a cause she never abandoned.

Taylor got her break in film with "National Velvet." The movie was about a young girl who rides in the Grand National Steeplechase and wins.

Eventually she moved on to bigger and better parts, finally capturing an Oscar for her role in "Butterfield 8." She was also nominated for "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?"

Taylor's weight always seemed to be an issue. During "Cleopatra" it fluctuated drastically from beginning to end. This, along with her glib tongue and devil may care attitude made her a hard sell in Hollywood during the last part of her career. It was obvious by the 70's that Taylor's star had lost it luster.

Taylor had another love in her life, one that she didn't marry, in Michael Jackson. A staunch supporter of Jackson and he of her, she married her last husband, Fortensky, on Jackson's ranch "Neverland." Shortly afterward; however, her public appearances other than for Aids events became scarce.

In 1999, England's Queen Elizabeth granted Taylor the title of Dame. While she considered it an honor, she rarely actually used the title.

In 1997, Taylor had a brain tumor removed. Seven years later she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, which was ultimately the cause of her death.

A lot can be said about one of Hollywood's brightest stars. She was beautiful. She was intelligent. She was funny. She was wanton. She was compassionate. She was temperamental. She was a lot of different things, all of which made her one star the world won't soon forget.

RESOURCE:

"Cinema Year By Year" by David Thomson, Dorling Kindersley Limited