At the height of her career, Taylor was one of Hollywood’s best-paid performers. She appeared in more than 50 films, and even as roles dwindled in the 1980s and 1990s, she remained one of Hollywood’s most popular celebrities. She raised millions of dollars for AIDS research and other charitable causes, and in 1993 was awarded a special Oscar for her humanitarian work.

In 1991, Taylor married for the last time. Her eighth husband was a construction worker, Larry Fortensky. They had met at a drug rehabilitation center, where the actress was being treated for addiction to alcohol and painkillers. The ceremony took place at the California ranch of Taylor’s close friend, pop star Michael Jackson. The couple divorced five years later.

Taylor suffered bouts of serious illness, had many operations, and several times over the years, nearly died of pneumonia. But friends and familymembers say she lived a full life.

Elizabeth Taylor at a 2007 charity benefit in Santa Monica, California

"[I have] wonderful memories," she once summed it up to an interviewer. "They’re warm memories. And they’re my memories."

For her fans, Elizabeth Taylor is remembered for her sultry looks and stunning violet eyes, for some memorable performances and a life off-screen as interesting as her Hollywood film roles.