The Truth Behind Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s Marriage

This article was originally published on Lizanest.com

Their first meeting was anything but love at first sight. But years later, on the set of one of Hollywood’s most troubled productions, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton began a romance that would shock the world.

What followed was a love story full of unexpected events, extravagance, heartbreak, and twists few could have predicted. Even after the headlines faded, some secrets stayed hidden.

These are the untold stories behind Hollywood’s most passionate and turbulent romance.

#1: Elizabeth Was So Beautiful Richard Almost Laughed Out Loud

When Richard first saw Elizabeth at a Hollywood party in 1953, their famous romance was still years away. She was sitting beside a swimming pool at the home of Jean Simmons and Stewart Granger. When she lowered her sunglasses, her beauty stopped him in his tracks.

Richard later recalled that she was so beautiful he almost laughed out loud. Yet this first encounter didn’t lead to a romance. They went their separate ways, unaware that they would eventually become one of Hollywood’s most watched, scandalous, and talked-about couples.

#2: Elizabeth Thought Richard Was Arrogant

Richard may have been dazzled by Elizabeth, but she wasn’t nearly as impressed with him. At their first meeting, she found him swaggering and vulgar. His reputation for chasing women gave her another reason to keep her distance, so she chose to ignore him.

Years later, when she learned they would work together on Cleopatra, Elizabeth was determined not to become another conquest. She knew Richard had a way with his leading ladies and thought she could resist him. Their first encounter had given her little reason to think otherwise.

#3: They Fell in Love While Married to Other People

When Elizabeth and Richard began working together on Cleopatra in 1962, neither was free to start a romance. She was married to singer Eddie Fisher, while Richard had a wife, Sybil, and two daughters. Their attraction quickly reached beyond the characters they played.

What began on a film set soon threatened two families. Elizabeth later acknowledged the hurt they caused, but their feelings proved difficult to resist. As the connection grew, keeping up appearances became harder. Soon, their spouses would have to face what everyone around them was beginning to notice.

#4: Richard Asked Elizabeth If Anyone Had Called Her Pretty

For an actor famous for his voice and charm, Richard chose a surprisingly ordinary opening line. When they met on the Cleopatra set, he asked Elizabeth whether anyone had ever told her she was a pretty girl. She was hardly swept off her feet.

Elizabeth later recalled her disbelief that the celebrated Welsh actor couldn’t come up with something better. To her, the remark sounded like another practiced attempt to charm a leading lady. She had every intention of keeping her guard up, until Richard revealed a side she hadn’t expected.