Elizabeth Taylor’s life sparkled with Hollywood success and deep personal challenges. From groundbreaking film salaries to fierce AIDS activism, her legacy is vast. Explore lesser-known stories about her iconic career, enduring friendships, numerous marriages, and inspiring strength that defined her as a true legend.
Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor was the first actress to earn $1 million for a movie role, in Cleopatra (1963), a groundbreaking payday in Hollywood.
She was born in London but moved to Los Angeles at age 7 when World War II broke out, starting her career in American cinema.
Elizabeth Taylor underwent more than 40 surgeries and was hospitalized over 100 times, showing incredible resilience throughout her life.
She developed a lifelong friendship with Rock Hudson, supporting him during his secret battle with HIV, which inspired her AIDS activism.
Taylor won two Academy Awards for Best Actress, but she reportedly disliked the film BUtterfield 8, which earned her the first Oscar.
At just 15, she appeared on the cover of Life magazine—more times than any other Hollywood star—totaling 14 covers.
Elizabeth Taylor married eight times to seven husbands, notably marrying Richard Burton twice, in one of Hollywood’s most famous romances.
She converted to Judaism in 1959 and remained a practicing Jew for the rest of her life.
Despite the glamor, she detested paparazzi and often described fame as a burden rather than a blessing.
Taylor was also a shrewd businesswoman, investing wisely in real estate and a successful perfume business.
She insisted on physical training between takes, using ballet workouts to maintain her slender figure during filming.
Elizabeth Taylor was instrumental in raising nearly $270 million for AIDS research and treatment through her high-profile activism.
Taylor had violet eyes, a rare color that became part of her mystique and on-screen allure.
She was once declared clinically dead due to pneumonia but made a remarkable recovery.
Elizabeth Taylor detested the nickname “Liz” and preferred Elizabeth or “Betty” by close friends.
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Brad Pitt is a Hollywood heartthrob and an Oscar-winning producer. However, his path to stardom involved humble beginnings and strange jobs. For instance, he dressed as a giant chicken to attract customers to a restaurant before he found fame. Furthermore, he studied journalism in college but dropped out two weeks before graduation. Consequently, his risk-taking nature defined his career. Therefore, get ready to meet the man behind the sunglasses. You will view him differently.
Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt wore a chicken suit for a living. Before he became an actor, he dressed as a giant yellow chicken to wave at cars for El Pollo Loco in Los Angeles.
China banned him for nearly twenty years. Because the government disliked his movie Seven Years in Tibet, officials forbade him from entering the country until 2016.
He voluntarily chipped his tooth for Fight Club. Specifically, he visited a dentist to remove a piece of his front tooth so his character, Tyler Durden, looked tougher.
He dropped out of college two weeks before graduation. Although he studied journalism at the University of Missouri, he left just days before the ceremony to pursue acting.
He injured his Achilles tendon while playing Achilles. Ironically, he tore the tendon in his heel during the filming of Troy, which delayed the production for months.
Brad Pitt is a passionate architect. In fact, he took informal lessons from the legendary architect Frank Gehry and even designed eco-friendly houses in New Orleans.
He speaks with a mumble in Snatch for a reason. Because he struggled to master the specific London accent, he convinced the director to let him use an unintelligible dialect instead.
He owns a successful winery. Along with his former partner, he purchased Château Miraval in France, and the estate produces award-winning rosé wine.
George Clooney lost a major role to him. apparently, Clooney auditioned five times for the role of J.D. in Thelma & Louise, but the director chose Pitt.
He is a licensed pilot. Consequently, he owns a vintage Supermarine Spitfire from World War II and enjoys flying it personally.
He checked himself into a psychiatric ward for research. To prepare for his role in 12 Monkeys, he spent time in a Philadelphia hospital to understand the patients’ experiences.
He debuted as a sculptor in Finland. Recently, he displayed his own plaster and bronze sculptures at a museum in Tampere, surprising the art world.
Plan B Entertainment is his creation. remarkably, his production company produced Best Picture winners like Moonlight, 12 Years a Slave, and The Departed.
He saved a fan from a crushing crowd. During filming in majestic Gran Canaria, he noticed a young girl struggling against a barrier and pulled her to safety.
Finally, he won his first acting Oscar recently. Although he won as a producer before, he finally took home the Best Supporting Actor trophy for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Robert Redford stands as a titan of Hollywood, conquering both sides of the camera. Initially, he captured hearts as a leading man with his golden-boy looks and undeniable charm. Furthermore, he reshaped the industry by founding the Sundance Film Festival to support independent artists. Consequently, his legacy extends far beyond his famous roles in Westerns and political thrillers. Explore these intriguing details about the Sundance Kid.
Robert Redford
He wanted to become a professional painter. Before he discovered acting, he traveled through Europe to study art. He lived in Paris and Florence, where he slept in hostels and sketched daily.
Surprisingly, the University of Colorado expelled him. He originally attended the school on a baseball scholarship. However, he began drinking heavily after his mother died, and the administration revoked his scholarship.
Robert Redford never won an Academy Award for acting. Although he received a nomination for The Sting, the voters passed him over. Ironically, he won his first Oscar for directing the film Ordinary People instead.
He founded the Sundance Institute with his own money. In 1981, he used his personal savings to create a haven for independent filmmakers. Today, the Sundance Film Festival ranks as the most prestigious independent film event in the United States.
Directors rejected him for the lead role in The Graduate. Mike Nichols refused to cast him as Benjamin Braddock. Specifically, Nichols argued that no one would believe Redford could struggle to get a date with a woman.
He performed his own stunts in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. During the famous cliff jump scene, he and Paul Newman really jumped onto a mattress below. However, Redford wanted to do the train jump himself too, but Newman stopped him.
Politically, he helped expose the Watergate scandal. Robert Redford purchased the rights to All the President’s Men before the journalists even wrote the book. Subsequently, he produced the film to ensure the public understood the gravity of Nixon’s crimes.
Tragically, his first son died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. He and his wife lost their son Scott just months after his birth. Consequently, Redford threw himself into his work to cope with the devastating grief.
He holds the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Barack Obama awarded him the nation’s highest civilian honor in 2016. The President praised him for his artistic achievements and his lifelong dedication to environmental protection.
Unusually, he played a baseball star in his late 40s. When he filmed The Natural, he was 47 years old. Therefore, the cinematographer used special lighting and soft filters to make him look like a young rookie.
He saved a Utah wilderness area from development. He bought the entire Timpanogos ski area specifically to stop developers from building condos there. Instead, he preserved the land and built the rustic Sundance Resort.
Brad Pitt played a young version of him. When Redford directed A River Runs Through It, he cast Brad Pitt in the lead role. Critics and fans immediately noted the uncanny physical resemblance between the director and the young star.
Reportedly, he wore two pairs of underwear for The Way We Were. He wanted to protect himself during the love scenes with Barbra Streisand. Jokingly, he claimed he did it because she was infatuated with him.
Robert Redford suffered a severe ear infection while filming All Is Lost. Because the director submerged him in water for weeks, he lost 60 percent of his hearing in one ear. Stubbornly, he refused to use a stunt double for the sailing scenes.
Finally, Robert Redford retired from acting in 2018. He announced that The Old Man & the Gun would be his final film as an actor. He wanted to end his career on an upbeat note playing a gentleman bank robber.
