Elizabeth Taylor Dies At Age 79
MALVEAUX: Hollywood is mourning the loss of a superstar. Elizabeth Taylor has died at age 79. Taylor's publicist says she died peacefully at the Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. And over the years, Taylor had suffered a number of health problems. Just six weeks ago, she was in the hospital for congestive heart failure. Our CNN's Brooke Anderson looks back on Taylor's star-studded career and often dramatic personal life.</s>BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Elizabeth Taylor was called one of the most beautiful women in the world. Her violet eyes lit up the screen in memorable roles from "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" to "Cleopatra," which made her the first actress to receive $1 million for one part.</s>ELIZABETH TAYLOR, ACTRESS: So much is said with the electricity of eyes, the intensity of a whisper. Less is more.</s>ANDERSON: Her highly publicized real life sagas were punctuated by eight marriages to seven different men. Richard Burton twice. Taylor's first union took place before she turned 18, to hotelier Nicky Hilton. She married actor Michael Wilding, producer Mike Todd and singer Eddie Fisher. Taylor was blamed for breaking up Fisher's marriage to America's sweetheart Debbie Reynolds. But her often tempestuous marriages to Richard Burton, the first lasting 10 years, became even more sensational fodder for the press.</s>TAYLOR: I think he's one of the finest actors of -- sorry.</s>ANDERSON: Taylor's other marriages included Virginia Senator John Warner and finally construction worker Larry Fortensky, whom she divorced in 1996. Her personal dramas often drew attention away from an accomplished film career. The British borne Taylor rode into moviegoers hearts as a child actress in 1944 with "National Velvet."</s>TAYLOR, "NATIONAL VELVET": Oh, you're a pretty one.</s>ANDERSON: The actress downplayed her abilities.</s>TAYLOR: I, along with the critics, have never taken myself very seriously. My craft, yes, but as an actress, no.</s>ANDERSON: Still, Taylor received five Academy Award nominations, twice winning best actress honors for her role as a call girl in "Butterfield 8" in 1960, and as an ornery alcoholic wife in "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf" in 1966.</s>TAYLOR, "WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF": T-t-touch yourself you old flusey (ph).</s>ANDERSON: Through the years, Taylor battled a litany of health woes, from her struggle with substance abuse, to a chronic bad back, to respiratory problems, the replacement of both of her hips and removal of a brain tumor. Taylor was recognized for her tireless effort to educate the public about AIDS, a battle prompted in part by the death of close friend Rock Hudson in 1985.</s>TAYLOR: This is something that is a catastrophe that belongs to all of us. It isn't a thing that belongs to a minority group any longer.</s>ANDERSON: Taylor helped found AMFAR, the American Foundation for AIDS Research, established the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. Later, she publicly befriended Michael Jackson, appearing with the singer several times and supporting him to an often critical press. She called him wonderful. But that was before his trial and ultimate acquittal on child molestation charges. Through all her hurt, physical and emotional, Liz Taylor will stand as one of Hollywood's most giving and glamorous superstars. Brooke Anderson, CNN, Los Angeles.</s>MALVEAUX: She was something else. Superstar actor James Earl Jones, who worked with Taylor and, of course, is the voice of CNN, he joins us now by phone. What do you remember best about Elizabeth Taylor?</s>JAMES EARL JONES, ACTOR (via telephone): You know, I've watched Richard and Elizabeth and it just really moved me where she played Kate and he played Petruchio in Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew." And it was very clear that he ran docile (ph). His mind so brilliant and his speech was so brilliant. She ran deep (ph), though. So, in contract to each other, they were a perfect match. I had a chance to work with them both and the movie was set in Haiti but we had to film it in Africa, in a former French colony in Africa, it was then called Dahomey, now called Benin. And I had a chance to work with mainly Richard, but they were both starring in it. Their first time starring on equal footing. And the friendship, I think, you know, it began there partly because of my own squareness. I -- they gave a reception where they were to introduce themselves to the cast, which included Cicely Tyson and Gloria Foster and Raymond St. Jacques and Roscoe Browne and Sir Alec Guinness and a great bunch of world famous actors and actresses. And I was the only sort of novice and dufous (ph) in the company and I'm sitting beside this attractive lady, on the sofa, in the hotel lounge, waiting for this reception to start. And I said to someone, so when does Elizabeth Taylor arrive? And I'm sitting right next to her. And she just looks at me and smiles. I guess she thought I was trying to make a funny. I wasn't. I didn't know who I was sitting next to.</s>MALVEAUX: You were sitting next to Elizabeth Taylor. We --</s>JONES: I didn't know I was sitting next to Elizabeth Taylor. I think our friendship probably started then without my really knowing it. She could have slapped the heck out of me.</s>MALVEAUX: Well, we saw, Mr. Jones, a picture of you at the Kennedy Center Honors in 2002 with Miss Taylor. Can you give us a sense of what that was like to be around her?</s>JONES: It was -- well, she had to go visit the jewelsman (ph) in the lobby. I mean that was Elizabeth. But my wife got to know her then too. And they formed a fast friendship. It was what she called a late friendship. They're very rare in life. And I was happy to reunion with her and which then led to my chance to read with her for her AIDS foundation, her performance in "Love Letters." And I witnessed her and Joey Tillinger directed us and thank God he was there because she leaned on him. She didn't want to do it, but she felt she had to do something to raise funds. And she trusted me, I believe, I hope, to really stand hard by her. And we got through it. But not only got through it, she began to blossom and she felt that audience response. And I don't know how long it had been since she had done a stage production, but she felt the electricity between herself and the audience and it was wonderful to see.</s>MALVEAUX: Mr. Jones, thank you very much for your recollections. She was truly a special talent.</s>JONES: Thank you.</s>MALVEAUX: Really appreciate it.</s>JONES: Thank you very much.</s>MALVEAUX: We're going to take a quick break.