Oscar-winning actress Elizabeth Taylor dies at age 79

Just one day after talks surrounding a remake of the classic Hollywood film CLEOPATRA heated up, the original film’s star, Oscar-winner Elizabeth Taylor, died at the age of 79. Taylor had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure and was hospitalized in February with complications related to the illness and though it was thought she might stabilize, her condition grew worse in the past few days.

Many modern audiences have probably only seen Taylor in her last movie, 1994’s THE FLINTSTONES, or know her from her years of stumping for AIDS research after longtime friend Rock Hudson died of the disease in 1985. But prior to her later life, Taylor was a five-time Oscar nominee and won the Best Actress award twice for BUTTERFIELD 8 and WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (she also won an honorary Oscar in 1992 for her humanitarian efforts).

If you’re looking to posthumously catch up on the work on Elizabeth Taylor, I’d suggest checking out George Stevens’ GIANT, CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF and A PLACE IN THE SUN.

Taylor remained mostly out of the public eye in the past few years though she started a Twitter feed and somewhat quizzically agreed to her final interview, a sit down with Kim Kardashian in February’s Bazaar.

Taylor is survived by four children, 10 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.