Liz Taylor is 79. Here's Hoping For 80.
Sunday, February 27, 2011 at 11:00AM 
Liz Taylor is still the diva of the silver screen. I confess that every time I see her face on the news now I fear that she has passed away. Some people should never die. Normally on La Liz's birthday we'd do a huge post a la "78 Appropriate Ways to Celebrate Liz Taylor's Birthday" so for this her 79th, let's add just one more to that old list.
79. Live to see another Oscar night.
Liz is such a diva that her birthday falls during Oscar season each year. This year it's actually ON Oscar day.
Liz famously won the statue twice and for her first win, BUtterfield 8 (1960) -- which I keep meaning to write about as I firmly believe that performance's bad rep is unjustified -- voting followed a very publicized sickness. She was actually pronounced dead at one point. Needless to say she lived. Even after she dies, she'll live given the size of her on and offscreen legend. On the YouTube video of her speech you can see that she was such a diva that she spends more time walking up to her coronation (1 minute and 10 seconds) than she does accepting the damn thing (17 seconds).
I don't really know how to express my gratitude for this and for everything. I guess all I can do is say thank you. Thank you with all my heart.
That's how you do! Always leaving the audience wanting more.
Acceptance Speeches, Birthday, Liz Taylor, Oscars (60s)
Reader Comments (8)
Like you said, when she dies, her legacy will live on.
That's a real silver screen goddess, not all the b lists who will be walking the red carpet hours from now.
They dont make divas like they used to no more. Something has been list.
That face........the lips, the nose, the eyes!
A True Legend!
You scared me for a sec....
Liz, this will sound weird, given your filmography, but I've loved ever since I saw you coming out of that rug in Cleopatra.
Be happy for as long as you can (ie eternity).
ELIZABETH TAYLOR is THE best. When she dies and goes to heaven, I guess even God will have to take a bow. She rules.
Nathaniel, have you been following the Deadline debacle from the last few days?
Looks like they managed to 'spoil' the entire show - http://www.deadline.com/2011/02/snorefest-oscar-show-rundown-exclusive-spoilers-from-the-annotated-schedule/ - and the Academy, in response, pulled their press certificates and banned them from Oscar coverage (http://www.deadline.com/2011/02/deadline-banned-from-covering-oscars/) - indirectly validating that everything they said is true.
So... SPIELBERG presents Best Picture. *snore*
She's one of the few who really lived life to the fullest... the stories she can tell!
Jorge -- i purposely avoided it. I suspect the spielberg thing is untrue (given conflicting reports) but i don't want anything spoiled anyway.
but God taking a bow to Liz? Love it. He'd be like WE CREATED YOU TO ENTERTAIN THE MASSES. YOU FULFILLED YOUR HIGHEST POTENTIAL.
I have loved Elizabeth Taylor since I was a boy. I was obsessed with the poster for Cleopatra that dominated Times Square. Was there ever a movie star flashing with such glamorous, dark, dangerous beauty? Since then she has proven, with her tireless AIDS work, what a loving person she is. I admire her loyalty to oddball friends like Michael Jackson and Roddy McDowall. I relish the rumors of her surprising shyness and not-surprising bawdy sense of humor. I will always love and admire her. Long live Liz!