Editing Elizabeth Taylor (section)

===1980–2007: Stage and television roles; retirement===
[[File:Elizabeth Taylor 2.jpg|thumb|upright|Taylor in 1981 at an event honoring her career]]

After a period of semi-retirement from films, Taylor starred in ''[[The Mirror Crack'd]]'' (1980), adapted from an [[Agatha Christie]] mystery novel and featuring an ensemble cast of actors from the studio era, such as [[Angela Lansbury]], [[Kim Novak]], Rock Hudson, and [[Tony Curtis]].<ref name=Kashner />{{rp|435}} Wanting to challenge herself, she took on her first substantial stage role, playing Regina Giddens in a Broadway production of [[Lillian Hellman]]'s ''[[The Little Foxes]]''.<ref name=Kashner />{{rp|411}}<ref name=Walker />{{rp|347–362}} Instead of portraying Giddens in negative light, as had often been the case in previous productions, Taylor's idea was to show her as a victim of circumstance, explaining, "She's a killer, but she's saying, 'Sorry fellas, you put me in this position'."<ref name=Walker />{{rp|349}}

The production premiered in May 1981, and had a sold-out six-month run despite mixed reviews.<ref name=Kashner />{{rp|411}}<ref name=Walker />{{rp|347–362}} Frank Rich of ''The New York Times'' wrote that Taylor's performance as "Regina Giddens, that malignant Southern bitch-goddess ... begins gingerly, soon gathers steam, and then explodes into a black and thunderous storm that may just knock you out of your seat",<ref>{{cite web |first=Frank |last=Rich |title=Stage: The Misses Taylor and Stapleton in 'Foxes' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/05/08/theater/stage-the-misses-taylor-and-stapleton-in-foxes.html |work=The New York Times |date=May 8, 1981 |access-date=December 1, 2018}}</ref> while Dan Sullivan of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' stated, "Taylor presents a possible Regina Giddens, as seen through the persona of Elizabeth Taylor. There's some acting in it, as well as some personal display."<ref>{{cite web |first=David |last=Ng |title=Elizabeth Taylor remembered: Always a star, even on the stage |url=https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/03/elizabeth-taylor-.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=March 23, 2011 |access-date=December 1, 2018}}</ref> She appeared as evil socialite [[Helena Cassadine]] in the day-time soap opera ''[[General Hospital]]'' in November 1981.<ref name=Walker />{{rp|347–362}} The following year, she continued performing ''The Little Foxes'' in London's [[West End theater|West End]], but received largely negative reviews from the British press.<ref name=Walker />{{rp|347–362}}

Encouraged by the success of ''The Little Foxes'', Taylor and producer [[Zev Buffman]] founded the Elizabeth Taylor Repertory Company.<ref name=Walker />{{rp|347–362}} Its first and only production was a revival of [[Noël Coward]]'s comedy ''[[Private Lives]]'', starring Taylor and Burton.<ref name=Kashner />{{rp|413–425}}<ref name=Walker />{{rp|347–362}}<ref>{{cite news |last=Brenner |first=Marie |title=The Liz and Dick Show |url=https://nymag.com/arts/theater/features/50176/ |access-date=December 1, 2018 |newspaper=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date=May 9, 1983}}</ref> It premiered in Boston in early 1983, and although commercially successful, received generally negative reviews, with critics noting that both stars were in noticeably poor health – Taylor admitted herself to a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center after the play's run ended, and Burton died the following year.<ref name=Kashner />{{rp|413–425}}<ref name=Walker />{{rp|347–362}} After the failure of ''Private Lives'', Taylor dissolved her theatre company.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hanauer |first=Joan |title=Liz-Zev Split |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/11/08/LIZ-ZEV-SPLIT/3735437115600/ |access-date=December 1, 2018 |work=[[United Press International]] |date=November 8, 1983}}</ref> Her only other project that year was the television film ''[[Between Friends (1983 film)|Between Friends]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Between Friends |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/5194/Between-Friends/overview |access-date=December 1, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325115752/https://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/5194/Between-Friends/overview |department=Movies & TV Dept. |work=[[The New York Times]] |author=Mark Deming |date=2016 |archive-date=March 25, 2016}}</ref>
[[File:BobHopeElizabethTaylorUSOMay1986.jpg|thumb|left|Taylor and [[Bob Hope]] perform in a [[United Service Organization]] show aboard the training aircraft carrier [[USS Lexington]] during the celebration of the 75th anniversary of naval aviation in 1986]]
From the mid-1980s, Taylor acted mostly in television productions. She made cameos in the soap operas ''[[Hotel (U.S. TV series)|Hotel]]'' and ''[[All My Children]]'' in 1984, and played a brothel keeper in the historical mini-series ''[[North and South (miniseries)|North and South]]'' in 1985.<ref name=Kashner />{{rp|363–373}} She also starred in several television films, playing gossip columnist [[Louella Parsons]] in ''[[Malice in Wonderland (1985 film)|Malice in Wonderland]]'' (1985), a fading movie star in the drama ''[[There Must Be a Pony]]'' (1986),<ref>{{cite web|first=John J. |last=O'Connor |title='There Must Be a Pony', with Elizabeth Taylor |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/03/arts/there-must-be-a-pony-with-elizabeth-taylor.html |work=The New York Times |date=October 3, 1986 |access-date=December 1, 2018}}</ref> and a character based on [[Poker Alice]] in the eponymous [[Poker Alice (1987 film)|Western]] (1987).<ref name=Walker />{{rp|363–373}} She re-united with director Franco Zeffirelli to appear in his French-Italian biopic ''[[Young Toscanini]]'' (1988), and had the last starring role of her career in a television adaptation of ''[[Sweet Bird of Youth]]'' (1989), her fourth Tennessee Williams play.<ref name=Walker />{{rp|363–373}} During this time, she also began receiving honorary awards for her career – the [[Cecil B. DeMille Award]] in 1985,<ref name="goldenglobes" /> and the [[Film Society of Lincoln Center]]'s Chaplin Award in 1986.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chaplin Award Gala |url=https://www.filmlinc.org/about-us/chaplin-award-gala/ |publisher=[[Film Society of Lincoln Center]] |access-date=December 1, 2018}}</ref>

In the 1990s, Taylor focused her time on HIV/AIDS activism. Her few acting roles included characters in the animated series ''[[Captain Planet and the Planeteers]]'' (1992) and ''[[The Simpsons]]'' (1992, 1993),<ref>{{cite news |last=Snierson |first=Dan |title=Elizabeth Taylor: 'Simpsons' exec producer Al Jean remembers the film legend's one-word turn as baby Maggie |url=https://ew.com/article/2011/03/24/elizabeth-taylor-simpsons-al-jean/ |access-date=December 1, 2018 |newspaper=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=March 24, 2011}}</ref> and cameos in four CBS series – ''[[The Nanny]]'', ''[[Can't Hurry Love]]'', ''[[Murphy Brown]]'', and ''[[High Society (1995 TV series)|High Society]]'' – all airing on February 26, 1996, to promote her new fragrance.<ref>{{cite news |last=Shales |first=Tom |title=CBS Follows the Scent of Missing Pearls |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-02-28-ca-40800-story.html |access-date=December 1, 2018 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=February 28, 1996}}</ref>

Her last theatrically released film was the critically panned, but commercially successful, ''[[The Flintstones (film)|The Flintstones]]'' (1994), in which she played [[Pearl Slaghoople]] in a brief supporting role.<ref name=Kashner />{{rp|436}} Taylor received American and British honors for her career: the [[AFI Life Achievement Award]] in 1993,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afi.com/laa/laa93.aspx |title=1993 Elizabeth Taylor Tribute |publisher=American Film Institute |access-date=December 1, 2018}}</ref> the [[Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award|Screen Actors Guild]] honorary award in 1997,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sagawards.org/nominees/life-achievement-award-recipient/34th |title=34th Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient, 1997: Elizabeth Taylor |publisher=[[Screen Actors Guild]] |access-date=December 1, 2018}}</ref> and a [[BAFTA Fellowship]] in 1999.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bafta.org/heritage/features/100-bafta-moments-24-days-to-go |title=100 BAFTA Moments – Dame Elizabeth Taylor Receives the BAFTA Fellowship |work=[[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]] |date=January 15, 2015 |access-date=December 1, 2018}}</ref> In 2000, she was appointed a [[Commander (order)#United Kingdom|Dame Commander]] in the chivalric [[Order of the British Empire]] in the millennium New Year Honours List by [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=55710|date=December 30, 1999|page=34 |supp=y}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/750290.stm |title=Queen honours movie Dames |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=May 16, 2000 |access-date=December 1, 2018}}</ref> After supporting roles in the television film ''[[These Old Broads]]'' (2001) and in the animated sitcom ''[[God, the Devil and Bob]]'' (2001), Taylor announced that she was retiring from acting to devote her time to philanthropy.<ref name=Kashner />{{rp|436}}<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2880173.stm |title=Liz Taylor retires from acting |work=BBC News |date=March 24, 2003 |access-date=December 1, 2018}}</ref> She gave one last public performance in 2007, when she performed the play ''[[Love Letters (play)|Love Letters]]'' at an AIDS benefit at the Paramount Studios with [[James Earl Jones]].<ref name=Kashner />{{rp|436}}