Saturday, November 23, 2024

Elizabeth Taylor Dead At Age 79, The Greatest Celebrity of All

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Elizabeth Taylor died this morning in Los Angeles at age 79. Famed actress, lover, hypochondriac, and AIDS activist, Taylor was the biggest star of the modern Hollywood era. Her multiple marriages and soap opera personal life overshadowed her great acting career from age 50 on, but she managed to overcome even the tabloids by becoming the torch bearer for AIDS research as friends like Rock Hudson and Roddy McDowall succumbed to the disease. Expect to see her oldest and best friends, George Hamilton, Jose Eber, and Mickey Rooney, giving statements today and appearing on television. They knew her best, and loved her most. Her other best pal, Michael Jackson, sadly preceded her in death. And what people don’t know is that two years ago, on Easter, Jackson and his kids were with Taylor even as he was rehearsing for his London shows. Their friendship endured just about everything. More to come…

PS I met Liz Taylor once, at the Cannes AmFAR event in 2002. Here’s the column: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,53712,00.html

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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