Elizabeth Taylor, an incredible beauty and talented actress, called the “Queen of Hollywood”, during her lifetime was known as the owner of eyes of rare beauty. However, not everyone knows that Elizabeth Taylor’s world-famous violet eyes are nothing more than the result of a mutation in the genes of the legendary actress.
Disease history
When Elizabeth was born, her parents immediately noticed her unusually thick eyelashes and took the girl to the doctor. He explained to the concerned parents that the child’s eyelashes grow in two rows, and there is nothing wrong with that. Six months later, Elizabeth Taylor's eye color changed to purple. The reason for this was a rare mutation with the beautiful name “Alexandria origin”. According to medical research, violet eye color does not affect visual acuity in any way, but causes heart disease in 7% of its owners. In Elizabeth Taylor's case, heart problems were the cause of her death.
Illness or gift?
It is known that Elizabeth Taylor's first appearance on set caused a stir around her eyes. Someone thought that her mascara was applied too thickly to her eyelashes, and the girl was asked to remove the makeup from her face. They did not immediately believe that this was a natural feature of the young actress.
Perhaps it was her eyes, unusual and amazing, that allowed Elizabeth Taylor to get closer to her success in the film industry and made her the dream of the strong half of humanity. However, at the beginning of her professional journey, Elizabeth Taylor's appearance only prevented her from proving her high acting talent. She had to work very hard to gain recognition not only as a true beauty, but also as a great actress, capable of successfully portraying on screen the images of famous women from different eras: Helen of Troy, Cleopatra and many others. Elizabeth Taylor won three Oscars, two of which she received for her participation in films, and one special for her humanitarian work.
Violet eyes that have captured many men's hearts
It is not surprising that such an extraordinary beauty as Elizabeth Taylor was constantly surrounded by the attention of men. She was married eight times, which always caused heated gossip in society. In the iconic film Cleopatra, Elizabeth Taylor's violet eyes, highlighted by jet-black eyeliner, forever captured the heart of her two-time husband, Richard Burton. All the men in Elizabeth Taylor's life showered their beloved with jewelry, some of which were exclusive. One need only mention the famous Peregrine Pearl (a gift from Richard Burton), which once belonged to famous royalty.
Elizabeth Taylor is one of the most beautiful actresses in the world. The charm of the legendary actress is truly her distinctive feature and the reason for this is a genetic mutation. This mutation was visible even in infancy; the frightened parents even took Elizabeth to the doctor and showed her unusually thick eyelashes with horror. The doctor reassured the parents, explaining that the child had a double row and there was nothing to worry about. A little later, at 6 months, her eye color changed. To the extraordinary, rare, or rather, the rarest - purple.
The reason for this color is again a genetic mutation called “Alexandria origin”. From birth, such people have a normal eye color (blue, brown, gray), but when 6 months pass, a change begins closer to purple. 
The process takes about six months and during puberty the color becomes darker or mixed with blue. Violet eye color does not affect health; a person sees as well as other people. Studies have shown that 7% of Alexandria Origin owners are highly susceptible to heart disease. For Taylor, these problems were the cause of her death.
She was born on February 27, 1932 - the queen of Hollywood, the most famous brunette beauty of the 20th century and simply a great actress - Elizabeth Taylor. 
When she appeared in the studio for her first screen tests, she was asked to remove the makeup from her eyes; the directors thought there was too much mascara on her eyelashes. And they did not immediately believe that this was her natural feature. 
Taylor was able to prove that she is not just a beautiful “accessory” for cinema. She won three Oscars. Her first golden statuette was won by her role as an elite prostitute in the film Butterfield 8 (1960). The second award went to Elizabeth for her work in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), where she played the vulgar brawler Martha. And in 1993, Taylor received an honorary Oscar for her humanitarian work. 
One of the main films in the actress’s career was “Cleopatra” (1961). Firstly, Elizabeth received $1 million for her reincarnation as the Egyptian queen - a fee that was considered simply unheard of at that time. Secondly, 65 historical costumes for Taylor cost almost $200 thousand - such a budget has never been provided to any film actor. 
Finally, it was this film that introduced “Cleopatra eyes” into fashion, that is, strong black eyeliner and long arrows. 
Elizabeth is famous for her numerous marriages. She walked down the aisle eight times, twice with the same lover - Richard Burton. This man is considered the main man in Taylor’s life. They met on the set of Cleopatra. The whirlwind romance ended with a wedding in 1964. 
After 10 years, Elizabeth and Richard divorced, but a year later they married again. The second marriage lasted only a year. Taylor and Burton's relationship was turbulent not only in life, but also on screen. Together, the actors starred in 11 films, including Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and The Taming of the Shrew. 
One of Elizabeth's closest friends was Michael Jackson. Taylor was the godmother of the musician’s two eldest children and communicated very closely with him. They say that it was Taylor who called Jackson the “King of Pop,” after which this title was assigned to Michael forever. In addition, the artist actively defended her friend from all attacks and accusations of child molestation. History has shown that Elizabeth was right, as the singer was later found not guilty. Jackson's death was a terrible blow for Taylor. 
Elizabeth loved gems and jewelry. Most often she received such gifts from her husbands, especially from Burton. In particular, Richard presented his beloved with the famous pearl La Peregrina, the previous owners of which were the daughter of Henry the Eighth, Mary Tudor and the Spanish queens Margaret and Isabella. “I wanted this diamond because it was incomparably beautiful and should have belonged to the most beautiful woman in the world,” Burton once admitted.
Another famous donor of jewelry to the artist was Michael Jackson: Elizabeth received from him an exquisite ring with sapphires and diamonds. It is not surprising that in December 2011, Taylor’s jewelry collection went under the hammer for an impressive $116 million (with a preliminary estimate of $20 million).
Throughout her life, the artist was plagued by injuries and illnesses. She broke her spine five times. Back problems began after filming the film National Velvet (1945), when young Liz fell from a horse. In addition, Taylor underwent surgery on her hip joints, had a benign brain tumor removed, and at various times she suffered from addiction to sleeping pills, painkillers and alcohol. And this is not a complete list. “My body sometimes drives me crazy,” the actress admitted. 
Elizabeth Taylor left the big screen when she could no longer be the most beautiful woman on the screen. But she was, is and will remain the most beautiful and gifted actress in Hollywood for many, many years.
Elizabeth Taylor's last film work was a small role in the comedy "The Flintstones", dating back to 1994. In 1996, the actress divorced her eighth husband, simple builder Larry Fortensky, whom she met in a rehabilitation clinic for alcoholics. Taylor was actively involved in charity work and raised numerous grandchildren. “I’m a happy woman,” said the actress. “I have truly loved many times and had a fantastic career in film. Can you ask for more? I’m just damn happy!”
On March 23, 2011, Elizabeth Taylor died of heart failure.
14.04.2011, 12:58
Scientists came to this unexpected conclusion. Elizabeth Taylor, who broke men's hearts all her life, was UNUSUALLY beautiful in the full sense of the word.
Let us remember that the actress began her journey to the screens long before the fashion for plastic surgery. Of course, some actresses were already doing them then, including Marilyn Monroe. However, compared to today, those operations are crude, clumsy work solving the simplest problems. Monroe had her breasts enlarged and her nose reshaped, but back then they could only dream of Botox, collagen and eyelash extensions.
Nature generously gifted Elizabeth Taylor. Her parents were shocked when a baby with long eyelashes was born, and they grew in two rows. This mutation is extremely rare and is called distichiasis. However, this genetic anomaly was beneficial to the girl and allowed her to save on cosmetics. In those days, super-voluminous mascara had not yet been invented, and other Hollywood beauties had to use false eyelashes to create an alluring, languid look.
Because of her peculiarity, one day an incident occurred with Elizabeth Taylor. When an unknown young actress came to the casting for the film “Lassie Comes Home,” the producers attacked the girl, demanding that she immediately remove the provocative makeup. Imagine their surprise when it turned out that Taylor didn’t have an ounce of makeup on. By the way, she got her role in this film by playing the charming Priscilla.
Long and thick eyelashes are not the only anomaly. A few months after Elizabeth was born, her frightened parents took her to the doctor. The fact is that Taylor had an unusual eye color - purple. This iris color is also a rare genetic mutation. The doctor explained to the parents that there was nothing to be afraid of and with such eyes their daughter would grow up to be a rare beauty. And so it happened.
Unusual violet eyes framed by fluffy eyelashes have captivated millions of fans. The actress was surrounded by male attention until her death.
However, the outwardly beautiful body contained many diseases. One can only marvel at the unprecedented courage of this woman. For 79 years, she found the strength to withstand pain and terrible diseases, while managing to maintain beauty and good spirits.
Elizabeth Taylor about her illnesses:
“My body drives me crazy sometimes. There are few people in the world who suffered as much as I did,” the actress recalled. – Countless pneumonias, operations on the back, eyes, knees and feet. My tonsils and appendix have been removed. I had a caesarean section three times and a tracheotomy once. My uterus has been partially removed. I was sick with measles and dysentery. Not to mention treatment for alcoholism and drug addiction. I had brain surgery two years after having artificial joints implanted in my hips. And then they operated on to correct the implants. But I believe in life. And I will fight for it,” Taylor said.
Unusual facts about Elizabeth Taylor
1. Elizabeth Taylor was married 9 times. Her last boyfriend was 29 years younger than the actress. And she married her colleague Richard Burton twice. He became husband No. 5 and No. 6.2. in 1960, the actress was “buried” by the press. The fact is that during the filming of the film Butterfield 8, Taylor became so seriously ill that information about her death appeared in the media.
3. For her role as Cleopatra in the film of the same name (1963), she received a then-record fee of $1 million and became the first such highly paid actress.
4. In 1963, Elizabeth Taylor earned more than the President of the United States. Taylor's annual income was about $2.3 million, while the highest paid business manager received $650,000 per year and John Kennedy received $150,000 per year.
5. In 1990, Elizabeth Taylor wanted to return to the film business, but admitted that no film company would take on her insurance: the actress had a benign brain tumor. In addition, Taylor broke her back four times, which left her unable to stand or walk for long periods of time.
6. Taylor has appeared on the cover of People magazine 14 times.
7. It is officially recognized that film academics gave the actress an Oscar for her role in the film Butterfield 8 (1960) because of sympathy. Taylor lost her husband and also became seriously ill. She had an operation called a tracheostomy. Actress Shirley MacLaine, who was hoping for an Oscar for her role in The Apartment (1960), once said: “I lost to a tracheostomy.”
7. A street in Iowa City, Iowa is named after Elizabeth Taylor.
8. Taylor has played 70 film roles
9. She overcame alcohol addiction, a brain tumor, and skin cancer.
10. Although the actress’s life is a ready-made script, she categorically forbade making a film about herself, saying: “No one will play the role of Elizabeth Taylor except Elizabeth Taylor.”
11. The actress was a close friend of Montgomery Clift and later saved his life. Taylor was the first to arrive at the scene of Clift's car accident. Not afraid to get into the wrecked car, she managed to pull the actor’s broken teeth out of his throat, thereby saving him from suffocation.
12. After the death of her friend Michael Jackson, in June 2009, Taylor was admitted to the hospital with severe stress. In the same year, the actress underwent heart surgery - surgeons fixed the heart valve by installing a special microdevice.
Elizabeth Taylor's purple eyes... Elizabeth Taylor is one of the most beautiful actresses in the world. The charm of the legendary actress is truly her distinctive feature and the reason for this is a genetic mutation. This mutation was visible even in infancy; the frightened parents even took Elizabeth to the doctor and showed her unusually thick eyelashes with horror. The doctor reassured the parents, explaining that the child had a double row and there was nothing to worry about. A little later, at 6 months, her eye color changed. To the extraordinary, rare, or rather, the rarest - purple. The reason for this color is again a genetic mutation called “Alexandria origin”. From birth, such people have a normal eye color (blue, brown, gray), but when 6 months pass, a change begins closer to purple. The process takes about six months and during puberty the color becomes darker or mixed with blue. Violet eye color does not affect health; a person sees as well as other people. Studies have shown that 7% of Alexandria Origin owners are highly susceptible to heart disease. For Taylor, these problems were the cause of her death. She was born on February 27, 1932 - the queen of Hollywood, the most famous brunette beauty of the 20th century and simply a great actress - Elizabeth Taylor. When she appeared in the studio for her first screen tests, she was asked to remove the makeup from her eyes; the directors thought there was too much mascara on her eyelashes. And they did not immediately believe that this was her natural feature. Taylor was able to prove that she is not just a beautiful “accessory” for cinema. She won three Oscars. Her first golden statuette was won by her role as an elite prostitute in the film Butterfield 8 (1960). The second award went to Elizabeth for her work in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), where she played the vulgar brawler Martha. And in 1993, Taylor received an honorary Oscar for her humanitarian work. One of the main films in the actress’s career was “Cleopatra” (1961). Firstly, Elizabeth received $1 million for her reincarnation as the Egyptian queen - a fee that was considered simply unheard of at that time. Secondly, 65 historical costumes for Taylor cost almost $200 thousand - such a budget has never been provided to any film actor. Finally, it was this film that introduced “Cleopatra eyes” into fashion, that is, strong black eyeliner and long arrows. Elizabeth is famous for her numerous marriages. She walked down the aisle eight times, twice with the same lover - Richard Burton. This man is considered the main man in Taylor’s life. They met on the set of Cleopatra. The whirlwind romance ended with a wedding in 1964. After 10 years, Elizabeth and Richard divorced, but a year later they married again. The second marriage lasted only a year. Taylor and Burton's relationship was turbulent not only in life, but also on screen. Together, the actors starred in 11 films, including Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and The Taming of the Shrew. One of Elizabeth's closest friends was Michael Jackson. Taylor was the godmother of the musician’s two eldest children and communicated very closely with him. They say that it was Taylor who called Jackson the “King of Pop,” after which this title was assigned to Michael forever. In addition, the artist actively defended her friend from all attacks and accusations of child molestation. History has shown that Elizabeth was right, as the singer was later found not guilty. Jackson's death was a terrible blow for Taylor. Elizabeth loved gems and jewelry. Most often she received such gifts from her husbands, especially from Burton. In particular, Richard presented his beloved with the famous pearl La Peregrina, the previous owners of which were the daughter of Henry the Eighth, Mary Tudor and the Spanish queens Margaret and Isabella. “I wanted this diamond because it was incomparably beautiful and should have belonged to the most beautiful woman in the world,” Burton once admitted. Another famous donor of jewelry to the artist was Michael Jackson: Elizabeth received from him an exquisite ring with sapphires and diamonds. It is not surprising that in December 2011, Taylor’s jewelry collection went under the hammer for an impressive $116 million (with a preliminary estimate of $20 million). Throughout her life, the artist was plagued by injuries and illnesses. She broke her spine five times. Back problems began after filming the film National Velvet (1945), when young Liz fell from a horse. In addition, Taylor underwent surgery on her hip joints, had a benign brain tumor removed, and at various times she suffered from addiction to sleeping pills, painkillers and alcohol. And this is not a complete list. “My body sometimes drives me crazy,” the actress admitted. Taylor didn't like being called "Liz". According to the actress, this abbreviation sounded like the word "hiss", that is, like a hiss or whistle. “Here lies Elizabeth. She hated to be called Liz. But she lived,” the artist answered in 1999 when asked what inscription she wanted to see on her tombstone.
