By Tiffany Ramsey

“I feel very adventurous. There are so many doors to be opened, and I'm not afraid to look behind them” - Elizabeth Taylor (February 27, 1932 - March 23, 2011).During the Golden Age of Hollywood, Elizabeth Taylor, was considered one of the greatest actresses to appear on screen. Known for her striking beauty and natural acting ability, Taylor became one of the most sought after actresses of the time. This week, the world lost the screen legend, at the age of 79.

The film roles Taylor chose were memorable and award winning. She landed her first role at the age 9 and went on to win critical acclaim for her performance in National Velvet (1944) at the age of 12.

If you are a lover of classic literature, like myself, or just appreciate a great cinematic experience, one can not help but admire the life’s work of the late Ms. Taylor. If you have never seen any of her films, I encourage you to check one out. Taylor’s film credits include such great films as; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), Cleopatra (1963), The Taming of the Shrew (1966), and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966).

Taylor was just as famous for her personal life as she was her on screen portrayals. Married a total of eight times to seven husbands, (yes you read that right), Ms. Taylor was a busy and desired lady.

Taylor was also an advocate for AIDS/HIV awareness and created the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS foundation in 1991, in an effort to raise money and combat the disease.

During her final years, Taylor suffered from heart related issues and eventually died from congestive heart failure, which is one of the most challenging illnesses that our elderly population must deal with. She displayed her health struggles publicly and was quoted as saying that she hoped, “people would gain courage from my struggle and not give up.” I love that!

I find Elizabeth Taylor’s tenacity, longevity, fearlessness, and determination to be inspiring, and the stuff trendsetters are made of.