Elizabeth Taylor, with her sumptuous violet eyes and a life marked by love, jewels, and eight marriages, has been hailed as a role model by Taylor Swift. In the liner notes for her new album Life of a Showgirl, Swift writes about track two, 'Elizabeth Taylor', describing the Hollywood icon as 'one of the most ultimate, quintessential showgirls I could ever imagine'. Swift admires how Taylor handled intense public scrutiny with humour and continued to create art, drawing parallels to her own life.
Both women share striking similarities, entering the spotlight at a young age. Taylor launched herself into Hollywood at 12, starring in National Velvet and immediately captivating audiences. Swift, too, pursued a record deal as a preteen. Taylor's adolescence on screen was marked by classics like Little Women and Father of the Bride, while Swift has spoken about the hidden struggles of eating disorders, a challenge Taylor also faced.
Taylor's career soared with films like A Place in the Sun, where she played a rich party girl alongside Montgomery Clift. Her strapless white dress, designed by Edith Head, became iconic—much like Swift's stage costumes. Taylor's later roles in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Suddenly, Last Summer, and Butterfield 8 (her first Oscar winner) showcased her raw sexual yearning and frustration. She won a second Oscar for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, delivering a searing performance as Martha.
Beyond acting, Taylor was known for her wit and kindness. She supported gay rights and spoke out about HIV/AIDS when it was controversial, famously saying, 'There is no gay agenda; it's a human agenda.' She doted on friends like Montgomery Clift and James Dean, whom she met on Giant. Despite her tumultuous love life, including multiple reconciliations with Richard Burton, Taylor's legacy endures as a trailblazer who lived unapologetically.
