Richard Burton was one of the most influential actors of the 60s and one of the highest-paid actors at the time. He was known for his signature baritone voice and became a Shakespearean actor. He played Hamlet in the 1964 Broadway production of the popular play by William Shakespeare, where his performance was lauded by the general public.
He has also been nominated for an Oscar many times in his career for his great performances in many films. However, his most popular aspect that made headlines was his turbulent relationship with Elizabeth Taylor. Now, a new book based on their life together suggests that Taylor is responsible for the downfall of Burton’s time as a classical actor.
Meeting Elizabeth Taylor Reportedly Put an End to Richard Burton’s Broadway Career
Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor met for the first time on the set of their 1963 film Cleopatra. This was the beginning of their successful on-screen collaborations and they worked together on 11 films. They both also fell in love on the sets of Cleopatra and were infamously married twice (divorced in 1974 and remarried in 1975). They finally ended their marriage for good a year later in 1976.
Their marriage and relationship were the subject of fascination for people and their lavish lifestyle made headlines. In the 60s, Burton was known as a Shakespearean actor having played Hamlet in a 1964 Broadway show. However, it seems his days as a classical Broadway actor declined soon after he met Taylor on Cleopatra.
A new book chronicling their relationship titled Erotic Vagrancy: Everything about Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor is soon coming out later this March, written by Roger Lewis. Lewis told People that while Burton did one or two plays like Camelot, and Equus, after he met Taylor, his days on Broadway were basically over by then. Lewis blames Taylor for putting an end to Burton’s tenure as a classical actor. He said,
“One of the big things that happened when Burton met Taylor was that was the end of his career on the stage. I know later on he did Camelot, he did Equus, and then made the movie of Equus…but basically, that was it as far as his Shakespearean ambitions went. “By meeting Elizabeth Taylor, that destroyed him as a classical actor”
Taylor was married four times before meeting Burton. After they divorced for good in 1976, she remarried twice. Burton also remarried two times after his divorce from Taylor. However, their fascinating marriage and dynamics remained the most talked-about aspect throughout their professional and personal lives.
Elizabeth Taylor Calls Her Marriage With Richard Burton A Chaotic Time in Her Life
Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor fell in love while working on 1963’s Cleopatra. They went on to work in multiple other films like Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The V.I.P.s, The Sandpiper, The Taming of The Shrew, Under Milk Wood, and many others. The pair were married in 1964 and they became the power couple of that time.
Their affair and marriage were very scandalous and the tabloids were all about their adventures, their lavish lifestyle, and the differences that developed between them, In an interview with Vanity Fair in 1998, Taylor called her love affair with Burton a chaotic experience. She went through a whirlwind of emotions at the time, calling it a mix of happy and dark days. She said,
“It was probably the most chaotic time of my life. That hasn’t changed. What with le scandale, the Vatican banning me, people making threats on my life, falling madly in love … It was fun and it was dark—oceans of tears, but some good times too.”
Throughout their marriage, the pair did not have any biological children together. Burton and Taylor worked professionally in over 11 films. Burton passed away in 1984 after suffering from an intracerebral hemorrhage. Years later in 2011, Taylor died from congestive heart failure.
