Elizabeth Taylor lived grandly, enough for several lifetimes.
She was a classic movie star, a true Hollywood legend. Her long career on the silver screen bridged generations, from her first big role as a 12-year-old equestrian in "National Velvet" (1945). Her beauty and her glamour thoroughly outshine those who pass for today's celebrities.
She was an early and visible activist in the battle against AIDS. When most of society shunned those with HIV, Taylor defended them – all of them, gay and straight. Her third and final Oscar was not for a movie role, but a special humanitarian honor.
In her 79 years, she became tabloid fodder for her serial marriages, her weight gains and losses and her friendship with Michael Jackson.
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