And My Dear, She's Still Here

The Malcontent apologizes profusely for helping feed speculation about the impending death of Dame Elizabeth Taylor.

Instead, the 74-year-old screen legend turned up last night on Larry King, looking about as chipper as possible and certainly more lucid than she was at the 2001 Golden Globes.

The very much alive Taylor refuted rumors of her demise and partially dismissed reports of having "Alts-heimer's," although there were moments to make one wonder about the line between fact and fiction.

Normally I am impervious to Larry's sycophantic coddling of his guests, but I admit to a soft spot in my cold, brackish heart for the old broad.  Six days before the 25th anniversary of the CDC report that is generally regarded as the start of the AIDS pandemic, she is still a driving force behind eradication of the disease.  She was red ribbon before red ribbon was cool.

Taylor waxed nostaligic about many of her costars including Rock Hudson, whom she said would be out of the closet if he were alive today.  Oh, and she peddled her jewelry.  It's ugly as sin, but I might buy some anyway.

[Watch video – 7:50, WMV format, high bandwidth]

[Watch video – 7:50, WMV format, low bandwidth]

Comments

[Craig Ranapia]

Taylor waxed nostaligic about many of her costars...

Well, does any remember when Taylor wasn't just a tabloid freakshow but ravishingly beautiful and a remarkable actress? If nothing else, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? shows up the Julia s and Gwenneths of this world as the no-talent, no-style mediocrities they are.

[el polacko]

glad the old gal is not dead, but sure wish she would get a few drinks in her and dish some of the great dirt she MUST have on hollywood... a little too much 'everybody was wonderful' (except brando, apparently) to make for a great interview.
the best moment was when she issued her patented bray "whaaAA??" when larry called her jewel collection 'costume'

[Kevin]

Yeah -- Larry must have had a bitchy L.A. queen directing and making comments in his ear, cuz the "costume jewelry" comment was so hilariously timed, and her diva-eruption double-take-and-roar so delightfully volcanic on live television.....it could not have been an accident...

She looked damn good for a broken down old broad in a wheelchair - and sobriety actually has made her more interesting as an interview.

[Mike]

She is a great actress and a champion of the fight against AIDS. Let's not be ageist and snarky when it comes to a rare humanitarian such as her.

[Mike]

What I mean to say is it wasn't that many years ago when my best friends were dying hand over fist and the my family and the rest of the world seemed to look the other way. Then she spoke up.

[North Dallas Thirty]

Did you manage to catch the part when Kathy Ireland called in? Talk about fawning.

And I have to admit....the new buzzwords around this house are, "Costume? Costume????"

[WTF]

Larry King is an idiot but La Liz is a true star. She is slow at times but after major brain surgery and other health problems, it's incredible she could still do a live on air interview.

The not costume jewelries are ugly but her own real stuffs are definitely a girl's best friend. And that RING, wow!

[John in IL]

Liz said in response to tabloid stories of her death:

Some audience out there, and don't ask me who they are but they are millions, they like scandal, they like filth.

I was at Wal-Mart today and read she was dead in the check-out line and shed a tear. Can you unshed a tear? Can you still like filth?

[sylvie]

I love her.

She is fearless, and showed her courage by talking about AIDS frankly when it was still just a dirty little secret.

Go LIZ! You are still the Cat!

[steve]

Somebody should ask Larry is HE'S dying. Yikes.

[Dave O.]

Thank you for posting the interview. It is good to see Elizabeth Taylor and her a little about her work. She really has helped gay people with her outspoken crusade on AIDS. She is still outstanding and I think it is great that you didn't take a lot of cheap shots at her. Good post.

[Brechi]

I saw that - it was entertaining to say the least.

[Marc]

Honey M.,
"Alts-heimer's" is the correct pronunciation.

It's German, dahling!

[Bridget]

She should outlast Castro, and no one will throw a fiesta at the Orange Bowl when she passes away.