Elizabeth Taylor dies at 79

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By David B. Wilkerson, MarketWatch

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) — Elizabeth Taylor, the English-American actress known for her roles in such films as “Cleopatra,” “Giant” and “Butterfield 8,” died Wednesday of congestive heart failure at the age of 79.

Elizabeth Taylor dies at 79

Legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor died early Wednesday morning, according to a statement from her publicist.

Taylor had been hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles since February. She had suffered from the heart ailment for several years.

Born in an affluent section of London in 1932 to American parents, Taylor began her acting career as a child, winning recognition for roles in “Lassie Come Home” (1943), “National Velvet” (1944) and “Life With Father” (1947).

During the 1950s, she took on more mature roles in such films as “Father of the Bride” (1950), “A Place in the Sun” (1951) and “Ivanhoe” (1952).

By the time she reached her mid-20s, she garnered respect for complex dramatic roles like the one she played in “Giant” (1956), in which her character has to age considerably.

The 1960s saw a series of iconic roles for Taylor, including “Butterfield 8” (1960) — which won her an Academy Award for Best Actress — “Cleopatra” (1963), “The Sandpiper” (1965), “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (1966) and “The Taming of The Shrew” (1967). Her frequent screen co-star during this period was Richard Burton, one of Taylor’s seven husbands. She married eight times, including two marriages to Burton.

Her career slowed down during the ‘70s, and she made only sporadic movie appearances from then on

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