5 Elizabeth Taylor classics that should definitely be on your watchlist

Taylor Swift’s 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, dropped yesterday, featuring 12 brand-new tracks, including a standout second track titled Elizabeth Taylor. While the album offers plenty to explore, this song, in particular, draws immediate attention. And yes, if you’re wondering, it’s indeed inspired by the legendary actress herself, one of Hollywood’s most iconic and enduring screen legends.

If you listen closely, fans of the late actress will spot numerous nods throughout the song, from Elizabeth Taylor’s iconic violet eyes to her favorite Hollywood haunt, Musso & Frank’s, which, as Woman’s World notes, also holds the distinction of being the city’s first-ever restaurant.

After listening to the song and reflecting on the legendary actress, dive into these films, just a few highlights from the extensive and remarkable career of Elizabeth Taylor.

Elizabeth Taylor movies

5. Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967)

A still from Reflections in a Golden Eye. (Image via Warner Bros.-Seven Arts)

Reflections in a Golden Eye is a story about repressed sexuality, where the actress plays Leonara, the wife of a homosexual man, Major Weldon Penderton (Marlon Brando). Given this, it shows a wife finding love by confiding in someone else, who happens to be her neighbor, Lt. Colonel Morris Langdon, played by Brian Keith.

4. The Mirror Crack’d (1980)

In this film, Liz shines as a famous movie star, much like she was in real life. The story follows her character, Marina Rudd, who becomes the target of a murder plot. The mystery unfolds after one of her fans inadvertently sets events in motion by giving her a poisoned drink. True to form, the actress brings her signature charm to this suspenseful tale, adapted from an Agatha Christie novel.

3. Cleopatra (1963)

To the world, the name Cleopatra has always been a matter of fascination. She is beautiful and strong-willed, and was a subject of poetry, too. Elizabeth Taylor portrayed this part well, and for anyone who wishes to imagine Cleopatra, this is the movie they can watch. It's interesting to think that, similar to Cleopatra, Elizabeth is the subject of a song here.

2. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)

Taylor & Newman In 'Cat On A Hot Tin Roof' (Image via Getty)

Elizabeth Taylor again plays a wife in this film, which came nearly a decade before Reflections in a Golden Eye. However, she is opposite to Leonara in this film, where she plays Maggie the Cat, the wife of an athlete turned drunkard, Brick Pollitt, played by Paul Newman. Unlike in the 1967 film, here she’s focused on winning the love of her husband rather than pursuing her neighbor.

1. A Place in the Sun (1951)

A still from A Place in the Sun. (Image via Paramount Pictures)

In A Place in the Sun, adapted from Theodore Dreiser’s novel An American Tragedy, Elizabeth Taylor plays Angela Vickers, a sophisticated socialite. Known for her own larger-than-life persona, Taylor embodies a character who truly loves the world of glamour and entertainment. With her warm and magnetic personality in the film, Angela is utterly captivating, a character audiences can’t help but fall for.

Elizabeth Taylor’s legacy continues to inspire, both on screen and in music, as Taylor Swift’s tribute reminds us of her timeless charm and influence. Revisiting her iconic films is the perfect way to celebrate a true Hollywood legend.

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