Shining Through Scandal: The Incredible Life Of Elizabeth Taylor

Film Producers Were Put Off By Her Looks

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Around the age of nine, Taylor was encouraged to audition for films, mostly due to her mesmerizing eyes, which were a famous “deep violet,” complemented by a set of double eyelashes caused by a genetic mutation. Elizabeth Taylor had a small role in 1942’s There’s One Born Every Minute, but producers didn’t think she was comparable to her contemporaries like Shirley Temple or Judy Garland. Universal’s casting director infamously said, “The kid has nothing… her eyes are too old, she doesn’t have the face of a child.” MGM gave Taylor another chance and cast her in 1943’s Lassie Come Home, after which she was granted a seven-year contract.