Dame Elizabeth Taylor

She was born on February 27, 1932 and by the age of 12 she was an international star. By her 16th birthday, she was being called The Most Beautiful Woman in the World. The fact that she was called a woman was more exciting to her than the meaning of the statement itself. The camera was definitely her first lover. She had a certain quiet energy when she was on screen and was capable of evoking emotions with a slight tilt of the head, or the subtle movement of an eyebrow. Her close ups were her best feature. You could not look away from her when she appeared on screen. In the life of a child star, there is usually a period of adolescent awkwardness as puberty settles in and it doesn't always photograph very well. Elizabeth never had such a period. She transitioned from a stunning teen to a mature sensual woman by the age of 16. Her first adult film role was at age 16, playing the wife of a military man. Her first passionate screen kiss came years before her real life romances. Elizabeth Taylor was never conceited about her appearance. She always wanted to know what the big fuss was all about. As she matured, she simply became more beautiful. Jet black hair, violet eyes with a double row of eyelashes created an on screen sensation. She has proclaimed never to have had an acting lesson. Her method of acting is instinctual. She is, at all times, always aware of the camera and is able to emote within the tiny little window that a close up provides. This separates her from any other actor. This two time Oscar winner has been titled one of the greatest actresses of all time. It was a combination of her on screen presence, her beauty and her private life that kept her constantly under the public eye. But, unlike the stars who were ruled by studios to conduct their lives according to a set of standard rules and regulations, Elizabeth had her own rules and never felt the need to explain anything to anyone. Her staple statement, "I answer to myself and only to those I love" has sustained her for over seven decades. Great joyous and great tragic events were played out in front of the public as millions of people watched with baited breath. What would happen to her next? Her life was called a modern day soap opera, but she didn't see it that way. Dozens of books have been published detailing the life of Elizabeth Taylor though she hasn't read any of them. She refuses to write an autobiography as she believes that she is still living the chapters of her life. Despite the public fascination with her, Elizabeth Taylor is a very private person. There are aspects of her life that will follow her to the grave. She has always known what her personal priorities were and never sold out. Those who know and love her claim that she is a generous and supportive friend. Those who know and love her have been loyal to her for a lifetime. As she lived through the passages of her life, she started to question her life's' purpose. She has stated, " If not to make the world a better place, then what is money for?" Her commitment to AIDS came from passion and anger at the injustice that she was seeing all around her regarding this deadly demon. Seeing people discriminated against, and turned away from society was a sin and she refused to look the other way. From a thriving acting career, she switched gears and became one of the most powerful and influential philanthropist of our time. Not only did she raise money for AIDS, she also took to heart actual AIDS patients and comforted them when they were so close to the end. She revealed to Larry King that she purposely used her fame and clout to bring public attention to AIDS. She felt it was the only way to display fame. Elizabeth has been all over the globe promoting AIDS awareness and raising money. She has been honored by royalty throughout Europe for her humanitarian efforts and at 77, she shows no sign of slowing down or abandoning her plight. In this day and age, AIDS is thought to be a manageable disease with people living twenty or thirty years opposed to living for six months a quarter of a century ago. But even this isn't good enough for Elizabeth Taylor. She refuses to rest until a cure is found for only then will the plague be wiped off the face of the Earth. This is her never ending goal. In 2000, she was given the title Dame by Queen Elizabeth of England. Now, our Dame Elizabeth Taylor lives a quiet life with family and friends...but ever the selfless activist. On a personal note, Dame Elizabeth is my hero and I have created a YouTube site dedicated to her life: http://www.youtube.com/richardbassett1956 . I have been following her career since the early days of AIDS and have been contacted by her regarding my site, work and other such matters. She is a dear, friendly, stunning lady!!! I work in this field and have seen the fruits of her labor assist millions of those infected with the disease. Her work with amFar (The American Foundation for AIDS Research) http://www.amfar.org/ and her own, The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation http://www.elizabethtayloraidsfoundation.org/ has raised almost 300 million dollars. She is priceless. She is one of a kind. We shall never see the likes of her again.