Elizabeth Taylor's Real Name: Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor → Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor
Quick answer: Elizabeth Taylor's real name was Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor. She was born on February 27, 1932, in London, England, to American parents, and later became Dame Elizabeth Taylor.
Birth name and child stardom
Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was born in London to American art dealer Francis Lenn Taylor and actress Sara Sothern (born Sara Viola Warmbrodt). The family returned to the United States before World War II; Elizabeth became an MGM child star in films such as National Velvet (1944) and Little Women (1949) (official Elizabeth Taylor site; Britannica; dameelizabethtaylor.com FAQ).
She never adopted a separate stage surname; "Liz Taylor" was a familiar short form of her legal name. She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2000.
Adult career and Oscars
Taylor transitioned to adult roles in A Place in the Sun (1951), Giant (1956), and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958). She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for BUtterfield 8 (1960) and again for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966). High-profile marriages—including twice to Richard Burton—and films such as Cleopatra (1963) kept her a global celebrity (official biography; BBC obituary).
AIDS activism and death
After friend Rock Hudson's death from AIDS-related illness, Taylor became a leading celebrity advocate for HIV/AIDS research and care, co-founding the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) support efforts and her own Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. She received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy in 1993 (dameelizabethtaylor.com awards; BBC).
Dame Elizabeth Taylor died on March 23, 2011, in Los Angeles at age 79 (BBC).
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Blu-ray/DVD biography of Elizabeth Taylor (e.g. reputable published bio) National Velvet or Giant DVD/Blu-ray
FAQ
What was Elizabeth Taylor's real name?
Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor; later Dame Elizabeth Taylor.
When was she born and when did she die?
Born February 27, 1932, in London; died March 23, 2011, in Los Angeles.
How many Oscars did she win?
Two competitive Best Actress Oscars (*BUtterfield 8*; *Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?*), plus the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
Was she British or American?
Born in London to American parents; she held strong ties to both countries and received a British damehood.
Why is she linked to AIDS activism?
She became a major public fundraiser and advocate after the 1980s crisis, especially following Rock Hudson's death.
Did she use a stage name?
No separate legal stage name; "Liz" was a nickname.
Sources
Further reading: Wikipedia