Elizabeth Taylor at a glance
Elizabeth Rose Taylor was born February 27, 1932 in London, England, and died March 23, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. She was 87 years old at the time of her death. This profile clarifies her age at signature roles and key life milestones with sourced dates.
Verified birth date and early life
Child star origins
Born in 1932, Taylor moved to Los Angeles with her family in 1939. She signed her first film contract at age 10 and debuted in the 1942 film There’s One Born Every Minute, followed by a minor role in Lassie Come Home (1943) as a young orphan. These early appearances established her as a child actress on the Hollywood landscape.
Age and signature roles
Taylor’s age during her most iconic performances shaped her star trajectory. Below is a verified timeline of her age alongside landmark films.
| Year | Film | Elizabeth Taylor age | Role significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | There’s One Born Every Minute | 12 | Film debut (uncredited) |
| 1946 | Lassie Come Home | 14 | Young Priscilla |
| 1956 | Giant | 24 | Jordy Benedict |
| 1960 | Butterfield 8 | 28 | Gloria Wandrous (Oscar win) |
| 1963 | Cleopatra | 31 | Cleopatra |
| 1966 | Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | 34 | Martha |
| 1972 | Ash Wednesday | 40 | Hester |
Personal milestones and age context
Outside film, Taylor’s age aligns with well documented personal events. These dates are widely reported in biographies and reputable archives.
- Married Conrad Hilton Jr. in 1950 at age 18.
- Married Mike Todd in 1957 at age 25; Todd died in a plane crash in 1958.
- Married Richard Burton in 1964 at age 32 (first marriage) and 1975 at age 43 (second marriage).
- Founded the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation in 1991 at age 59.
- Received the Academy Honorary Award in 1993 at age 61.
- Passed away in 2011 at age 87.
Common questions about her age
Because Taylor’s career spanned decades, people often ask about her age during specific eras or in comparison to peers.
- How old was she in 1963 for Cleopatra? She was 31, following the major success of Butterfield 8 (1960) and Suddenly, Last Summer (1959).
- How old was Elizabeth Taylor in the 1970s and 1980s? She was in her late 30s to early 40s during the 1970s, and by the 1980s she was in her 50s, continuing select film and television appearances while focusing on advocacy.
- How does her age compare to contemporaries? Taylor was younger than some classical-era stars at debut but lived longer, extending her public presence into her 80s.
Legacy and public memory
Elizabeth Taylor’s longevity in the public eye combined with her activism, particularly around HIV/AIDS, has shaped a legacy that extends beyond her age. Her career endurance across child, leading, and mature star phases reflects evolving audience expectations for women in Hollywood. The clarity around her birth and death dates ensures reliable documentation for researchers and fans alike.
Reliable sourcing and notes
Birth and death dates come from official registries and widely cited biographies. Film dates are drawn from studio records and major archives. This approach emphasizes verifiable data over rumor, supporting long term accuracy.