Hollywood legend Elizabeth Taylor died early this morning at the age of 79 of congestive heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. She was surrounded by her four children, Michael Wilding, Christopher Wilding, Liza Todd and Maria Burton.
In a statement to ABC News her son Michael said the following:
“My Mother was an extraordinary woman who lived life to the fullest, with great passion, humor, and love. Though her loss is devastating to those of us who held her so close and so dear, we will always be inspired by her enduring contribution to our world. Her remarkable body of work in film, her ongoing success as a businesswoman, and her brave and relentless advocacy in the fight against HIV/AIDS, all make us all incredibly proud of what she accomplished. We know, quite simply, that the world is a better place for Mom having lived in it. Her legacy will never fade, her spirit will always be with us, and her love will live forever in our hearts.”
Looking back at the films of Taylor’s that I have personally seen I have to say I rarely saw a performance I was not impressed with, be that due to her acting or simply her mesmerizing looks. Her Oscar-winning performance in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is the first that comes to mind, but not too far behind are Cat on a Hot Tin Roof opposite Paul Newman and Giant opposite James Dean.
Taylor was an actress I still have much more of her work to explore, but I don’t need to have seen it all to say without a doubt that she was indeed one of Hollywood’s screen legends.
Her family has asked that contributions be made to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation in lieu of flowers. Personal messages should be directed to Taylor’s Facebook page.
