Legendary actress Elizabeth Taylor’s life seems to be straight out of the most complicated of melodramatic film scripts. A widow, great-grandmother, and eight-time divorcee who quit alcohol more than a decade ago after acknowledging a 35-year addiction, she’s also been in hospital countless times – and has even had near-death experiences.
“I’ve been pronounced dead, not able to breathe, and I went to the tunnel with the white light, all of that,” she tells US news network CNN. “It sounds unreal. I feel kind of crazy when I talk about it. I have almost died several times. So I have a great appreciation of every day I wake up breathing. Colours, different tastes, different smells – I appreciate it all on a different level.”
She also good-naturedly sees the silver lining of some of her health scares, such as the surgery she had in 1997 to remove a brain tumour, pointing out that the risky procedure helped cleared up some myths about her. “It’s been reported a dozen times that I’ve had face lifts; I haven’t,” she says. “I was glad when my head was shaved for the brain surgery so I could say, ‘See – no scars!’”
There have been many ups and downs in the actress’ life – her first marriage at 18 to hotel heir Nicky Hilton, the loss of third husband Mike Todd, who died in a plane crash while still a newlywed, and, of course her two rocky trips to the altar with Welsh actor Richard Burton. And today, she continues championing the AIDS cause, despite suffering chronic back troubles – “I’ve broken it five times in the past six years,” she says – that frequently find her in a wheelchair.
The fascinating story would seem to make the perfect autobiography, something Liz says might happen “in the future”, but don’t count on it. “There’s too much tragedy in my life,” she says. “There’s a great deal of joy, but also a great deal of tragedy. I don’t want to sit down and dwell on that.
“I’m dwelling on each day as it happens, making the best of that day I can, and enjoying life each day to the fullest.”
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
