Elizabeth Taylor playing one of her most famous roles, that of Cleopatra in the 1963 film of the same name

Elizabeth Taylor playing one of her most famous roles, that of Cleopatra in the 1963 film of the same name (Image credit: Getty/ Hulton Archive / Stringer)

The actress Elizabeth Taylor is most remembered for her passionate performances in numerous films, such as 1963's Cleopatra and 1958's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, as well as her marriage to Richard Burton and her love of diamonds. She was a captivating screen presence due to her talent as an actress, and audiences often found themselves hypnotized by her famous violet eyes. Did Elizabeth Taylor have violet eyes?

Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor

Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor (Image credit: Getty/ Gamma-Rapho)

Biography.com states that Elizabeth Taylor was born on February 27th 1932 and made her film debut in 1942's One Born Every Minute.

She played the Queen of the Nile in the movie of the same name. The film earned Taylor a Guinness World Record for most costume changes in a film.

Taylor would begin an obsessive love affair with the actor Richard Burton as a result of her close relationship with him. The Krupp Diamond is one of the jewels Burton would present Taylor with as a token of his affections. They made several films together, including Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Taylor won one of the academy awards. The couple had a troubled marriage and would divorce in 1974 only to remarry and divorce again a year later.

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According to the Elizabeth Taylor site, Taylor used her fame to shine a light on the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The official Elizabeth Taylor site states that she has captured the hearts of millions.

Did Elizabeth Taylor have violet eyes?

Did Elizabeth Taylor really have violet eyes?

Did Elizabeth Taylor really have violet eyes? (Image credit: Getty/ Keystone-France / Contributor)

Anyone can have violet-colored eyes thanks to colored contact lens. The first tinted contact lenses were not commercially available until 1983. Taylor had a real eye color.

The color of the iris depends on the amount of natural melanin in the eye. The darker your eyes look, the more melanin you have in your iris. The irises of a person with dark brown eyes have more of a substance in them than the irises of a person with green eyes. According to The List, Taylor had a very specific amount of melanin in his eyes.

There are many shades of gray and blue. The chairman of the ophthalmology department at the Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., told LiveScience that it was possible to have that eye color.

Eye color can change based on the light absorbed by the eye. If you wear a white shirt, it will reflect light off of the iris and make it look lighter.

Certain colors in the eyes can be brought out by makeup. To compliment her eyes, Taylor wore blue or purple eyeshadow, dark brown eyeshadow, and black eyeliner.

Additional resources

You can read more about Elizabeth Taylor at her official site. The piece from All About Vision explains why eye colors change.

Bibliography