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Elizabeth Taylor |
People We Remember |
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Back stage at "Funny
Girl" |
"It’s the end of an era.
It wasn't just her beauty or her stardom. It was her humanitarianism.
She put a face on HIV/AIDS. She was funny. She was generous. She made
her life count"
- Barbra Streisand,
remembering Elizabeth Taylor |
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Philanthropist, Activist,
Star
March 23, 2011
Today,
the
world
woke
to
the
sad
news
of
the
passing
of
screen
legend
Elizabeth
Taylor.
Elizabeth's
extraordinary
fame
as a
movie
star
was
eclipsed
only
by
her
philanthropic
work
with
the American Foundation
for AIDS Research (AmFAR).
AIDS
Project Los Angeles (APLA)
and The Elizabeth Taylor
AIDS Foundation.
Elizabeth
and
Barbra
appeared
together
at
an
1994
APLA
benefit
that
raised
$4.9
million
for
the
organization.
In addition to winning two
Best Actress Adademy
Awards ("Butterfield 8" in
1961 and "Who's Afraid of
Virginia Woolf" in 1967),
the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences
recognized Elizabeth
Taylor's tireless work in
support of AIDS research
and education. In 1993,
she received the Academy's
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian
Award.
In
1992, Elizabeth was
invited to speak about her
work about HIV education
in front of the United
Nations. That same year,
she received the Kennedy
Center Honors, recognizing
both her body of work and
her philanthropy.
Elizabeth's
friendship
with
Barbra Streisand goes
as
far
back
as
1964
when
she
and husband
Richard
Burton
visited
Barbra
back
stage
at
"Funny
Girl"
(Incidentally,
if producer Ray Stark had
gotten his way, Elizabeth
Taylor and Richard Burton
would have been cast as
Doris and Felix in the
film version of "The Owl
and the Pussycat" - roles
that were eventually given
to Barbra and Elizabeth's
"Virginia Woolf" co-star, George Segal).
In
2000,
we
caught a glimpse of Elizabeth
who was sitting front row
seat at Barbra's
"Timeless" concert in L.A.
Barbra spotted her pal in
the audience and engaged
her in a moment of
playful
chat
from
the
stage.
The following year, Elizabeth
Taylor
made a rare personal
appearance to honor
Barbra
at
her
AFI
tribute
saying,
"I
care
for
you
so
much,
it
makes
me
want
to
cry.
I
really
love
you.
And
thank
you
Barbra,
for
everything
you
given
us
all."
We're sure Barbra's
feelings are mutual as she
remembers her good friend
on this sad day. |
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