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Elizabeth Taylor

Perfectly embodying the idea that “no one is all one thing,” Elizabeth Taylor defies definition or description. Taylor began acting at a very young age, and she quickly became known for her grace and beauty, as well as her lavender eyes. As she got older, more worldly, and far sexier, she became known for her influence on the men in her life. Married eight times, (wice to Richard Burton, with three children, Taylor never gave up on her own happy ending.

Taylor never apologized for her own life, even when it seemed like she couldn’t take any more strife or struggle. She comported herself everyday with more grace and poise than I can manage on my very best day, if at all. She was well-respected among her professional peers, landing some of the most sought after (and subsequently iconic) roles of her day. She was more beautiful than any woman alive at the time, she was a devoted and caring mother, and certainly knew her way around a marriage certificate. There was little that Taylor couldn’t take on and make her own.

In her later years, she became increasingly active in the AIDS movement after her close friend, Rock Hudson, died from the disease. She chaired the first major AIDS benefit on behalf of AIDS Project Los Angeles, co-founded AmfAR to support scientific research about the disease and founded The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation to care for those affected.

Taylor was among the very first celebrities to speak out about the disease, even when doing so meant stigmatization and backlash from her contemporaries. She nonetheless fought and died a hero to many because of her contributions.