life story
CLEOPATRAI
t just doesn’t get more glamorous
than Elizabeth Taylor – something
Richard Burton may have been thinking
while starring opposite her in 1963’s
Cleopatra (in which Elizabeth became
the first film star ever to receive a fee
of $1 million).
They were both married when
they met on set; he to actor Sybil
Christopher, with whom he had two
daughters, and she to pop sensation
Eddie Fisher, her fourth husband, who
had already caused a scandal by leaving
America’s sweetheart Debbie Reynolds
for Elizabeth. The Vatican condemned
Richard and Elizabeth’s affair as ‘erotic
vagrancy’, but that didn’t stop them
becoming Hollywood’s hottest couple,
and they were married in 1964.
Five years later, Richard presented
Elizabeth with the now-famous 69ct
Burton-Taylor diamond, for which he
paid a record $1.1 million. Richard
wrote in his diary, ‘I wanted that
diamond because it is incomparably
lovely... and it should be on the loveliest
woman in the world. I would have had
a fit if it went to Jackie Kennedy or
Sophia Loren.’
After a tempestuous 10 years
together, the couple filed for divorce
in 1974, then remarried in 1975 in
Botswana before divorcing again a
year later.
Richard died in 1984. On the subject
of her eight marriages, Elizabeth told
The Telegraph’s Michael Thornton in
2010, ‘I was a fool to marry so often.
If I had my time over again, I would
never do that. The truth is, I now don’t
give a damn about most of those men.
Richard is the only one I truly loved
and still care about. I shall miss him
until the day I die.’ She passed away
a year later.ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACKW
orking on a series like Orange
is the New Black as your first
job out of writer’s college is a dream
come true. Meeting your future wife
on set? Even better. When screenwriter
Lauren Morelli sat down with actor
Samira Wiley in 2012 to discuss an
episode arc for Samira’s character,
sparks flew – despite the fact that
Lauren had that same year married
producer Steve Basilone.
‘I tried to be around her as much as
I could,’ Samira told Martha Stewart
Weddings. ‘When I found out she was
married, I assumed it was to a woman.
I was very wrong on that.’
‘Samira became the person I felt
safe talking to,’ says Lauren. ‘I was so
confused, and it was such a scary time
that I think our romance came out
of me leaning on her when it felt like
my life was falling apart.’
Lauren and Steve divorced in 2014,
at which point she and Samira began
dating. Lauren proposed in October
2016 and the pair said ‘I do’ in March
last year in a confetti-themed ceremony
in Palm Springs, officiated by Samira’s
Baptist-minister parents. mcJAN/FEB 2018 MARIECLAIRE.CO.ZA 125
HONOURABLE
MENTIONSJAVIER BARDEM
AND
PENELOPE CRUZ
Apparently, a couple that
works together, stays
together. Javiar and
Penelope have co-starred
in five films to date:
Jamon Jamon (1992),
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
(2008, after which they
began dating), The
Counselor (2013), Loving
Pablo (2017) and
Everybody Knows (2018).
They’re also the only two
Spanish actors ever to win
Academy Awards.
DEV PATEL AND
FREIDA PINTO
Dev and Freida’s
charmingly innocent
on-screen chemistry
helped make 2008’s
Slumdog Millionaire
a smash success.
The couple dated for six
years once filming had
wrapped, separating
amicably in 2014.
CHANNING TATUM
AND JENNA DEWAN
The Step Up co-stars had
been falling for each other
on set, but only officially
started dating after
Channing turned up at
Jenna’s hotel room one
night wearing nothing but
a sombrero, briefs and
Ugg boots – a fittingly
romcom-esque beginning
to one of the sweetest
Hollywood relationships
out there.
BLAKE LIVELY AND
RYAN REYNOLDS
Whether they’re trolling
each other on social
media or killing the
competition on the red
carpet, Blake and Ryan,
who met on the set of
Green Lantern, are
extreme #couplegoals.PHOTOGRAPHS
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