singer eddie fisher was number 4.he was trashed by the tabloids for stealing him from debbie reynolds. >> now when i feel that? i feel all the time like a cat on a hot tin roof. >> reporter: cleopatra. her seductive screen roles blurred into her private life. there was an oscar for butterfield 8. >> i was the slut of all time! >> reporter: a second oscar for playing martha, the boozy shrew in who's afraid of virginia wolf. opposite husband number 5, richard burton. >> i am not a monster! i am not! >> reporter: their motto seemed to be, excess in all things typified by the huge diamonds he gave her. they made a string of over-the- top movies together. drank too much, caroused too much, fought, divorced, remarried and fought some more. there were two more marriages... senator john warner for six years, four years with construction worker larry fortensky. the passions of her later years included her work for aids research and a series of perfumes sold in her name. it's the failed marriages or the health problems -- if th

and i don't think either she or eddie fisher would have foreseen they would end up together. and then they were married and she was married to him and richard burton was, in fact, married to his wife as well when they flew off to rome to make "cleopatra" and that was a headline-making incident that rocked the world. but through all this, she had an active and fruitful film career and she didn't just play, you know, conventional enje news, she played meaty and challenging parts. multiple times played tennessee williams, you know. that's not for sissies. she won an oscar playing edward albie's martha in "who's afraid of virginia woolf." she was not only not afraid to take those roles, she welcomed those challenges. that's not a typical hollywood beauty's career track. >> so many welcomed watching her. it is definitely a loss. we appreciate you joining us this morning. leonard mall tin, thanks for your time. >> joining us publicist gary springer. his father was elizabeth taylor's long-time press agent along with richard burton as well. the running joke was always when they did g

. >> reporter: steven segal greeted her through the paparazzi, and two of eddy fisher's children talkedut their famous family true. >> she's a great lady. she was married to my father. she was probably may favorite ex-step-mother. >> reporter: patty labellle offered a musical birthday greeting. >> happy birthday, i love you. >> this week brought an outpouring of memories, and tribute to elizabeth taylor from those who knew her in hollywood. here in san francisco, people remembered her for the time, and energy she devoted to beating a killer. she once said, it is bad enough that people should die of a.i.d.s., but they should not die of ignorance. paul chambers reported on san francisco's reaction this week. >> reporter: she's considered hollywood royalty by many, but if the attention -- but it's the attention she's brought to a.i.d.s. that is getting affection from the gay community. >> she's raised hundreds of millions of dollars, and we're going to miss her. >> reporter: it may be hard for the new generation to understand the impact elizabeth taylor had. she brought millions of dollars

>> reporter: when elizabeth flew to chicago for the funeral, she was accompanied by the singer eddie fisher, whose wife, debbie reynolds, stayed behind in los angeles. scandal erupted when fished divorced and tied the knot with taylor. taylor was called a homewrecker and reportedly hated her next role in the film "butterfield 8," where she played a woman who breaks up a marriage. she won her first oscar for it. >> i guess all i can do is say thank you. thank you with all my heart. >> reporter: in the midst of it all. a phone call that led to the most celebrated role of her life. "cleopatra." it was a groundbreaking performance, and a groundbreaking paycheck for taylor. they said, would you do it? >> i said, yeah, for a billion bucks and 10% of the gross. in time we will lose everything. >> reporter: in "cleopatra," mark antony was played by richard burton. >> i want to be free of you. >> reporter: offscreen, the two fell madly in love and scandalously lived together before either of them were divorced. both the catholic church and the u.s. congress condemned them for living in sin. but she

eddie fisher, the senator, and the builder, larry portenski. and through all this, the ill health.he had ulcers, a brain tumor, arthritis. but her charity work was for another condition -- aids. following the death of rock hudson, she was furious at the taboos surrounding the topic. >> everybody was talking about it. but like this. and nobody was doing anything about it. including myself. and then i got really angry. >> the foundation she helped set up has distributed more than $230 million. it was for this she was made dame elizabeth. and when you add in the rest of the story, she was always hollywood royalty. >> elizabeth taylor has died at the age of 79. much more on that and all the international news anytime at bbc.com. you can catch up with me and most of the team on twitter. i'm @bbcmikeembley. and you can see what we are working on, too, on facebook. just briefly -- the latest spike in violence in israel has produced the first bus bombing in israel in seven years. >> hello and welcome. >> see the news unfold, get the top stories from around the globe and click-to-play video

singer eddie fisher was number 4. she was trashed by the tabloids for stealing him from debbie reynolds >> you know what i feel like? i feel all the time like a cat on a hot tin roof. >> reporter: from maggie the cat to cleopatra, her seductive screen rolls blurred into her private life. there was an oscar for "butterfield 8." >> i was the slut of all time. >> reporter: a second oscar for playing martha, the boozy shrew in "who's afraid of virginia wolf" opposite husband number 5, richard burton. >> but i am not a monster. i'm not! >> reporter: their motto seemed to be, excess in all things, typified by the huge diamonds he gave her. they made a string of over-the- top movies together, drank too much, caroused too much, fought, divorced, remarried and fought some more. there were two more marriages, senator john warner for six years, four years with construction worker larry fortensky. the passions of her later years included her work for aids research and a series of perfumes sold in her name. if the failed marriages

there was a singer, eddie fisher, who was married to debbie reynolds when they first met. there was a senator, republican john warner of virginia. there was even a builder, who taylor met when he was doing some home improvements for her. for a lot of her life, taylor battled health problems, near fatal pneumonia, a brain tumor, substance abuse and weight problems. >> either you look forward to waking up or you don't. i do. >> all of her troubles provided comics with a lot of material. she never gave up, and kept her name and famous face out there with product endorsements later in life. >> these have always brought me luck. >> her remaining years were defined by the death of her close friend and former co-star, rock hudson. his revelation that he was dying of aids shocked the country, but she went to work, devoting her life to raising money and research to fight the disease and fight the stigma surrounding it. >> they have so little touching and compassion in their life, that if you reach out to them, you receive so much love in return. >> elizabeth taylor went on to found

. >> reporter: in 1958, reynolds' then-husband eddie fisher left her for taylor. but not even that could derail a life-long friendship shared by these two icons. >> she was a very smart, funny, glib, sharp lady. she could cuss like a sailor. and she loved a good, raunchy joke. and she was a great companion to everyone. >> reporter: on "the view," whoopi goldberg called her a mentor. >> she had a sense of humor that was so bawdy, it was like really? you just said that? that came out of your mouth? >> she was just a magnificent woman. she was a great broad and a good friend. >> reporter: it's the end of an era, declared barbra streisand. she was funny. she was generous. she made her life count. many who paid tribute to taylor, cited her legacy as an advocate for those with aids. >> she was, without doubt, one of the greatest people i've ever met in my life. she stood up when no one was prepared to stand up and be counted against aids. >> reporter: former senator, john warner, who was the sixth of her seven husbands said, i shall remember her as a woman whose heart a

. >> couric: ...maggie the cat leapt into the arms of husband number four, eddie fisher and was vilified in the press for stealing him away from girl next-door debbie reynolds. >> mama face it, i was a slut of all time! >> couric: in "butterfield 8" she played a scheming new york call girl. it won her, her first of two oscars. >> i don't think i was particularly good in it. but i had had pneumonia and had my throat cut open, a tracheotomy, and i won that year. >> couric: her next movie would be one of her biggest, in scale and notoriety, "cleopatra." it would also ignite her second great love. >> you will knell. >> i will what? >> on your knees. >> couric: her leading man richard burton became husband number five, and later six when they remarried. they had a child together, her fourth. the two were extravagant as the jewels he bought her. her love affair with diamonds never died. her love affair with burton was over by 1976. but not before the couple had made one last iconic film... >> you what? >> couric: ...for which she won a second oscar, an explosive domestic drama about the unrave

death of her third husband, mike todd, in a plane crash, taylor found comfort in his best friend eddie fisherpublic despised taylor for breaking up the marriage of fisher and sweetheart debbie reynolds. he became husband number four. it was the biggest hollywood scandal of the decade. yet less than three years later the public was back on taylor's side after she almost died of pneumonia. sympathy from her emergency tracheotomy helped her win an academy award for best actress in "butterfield 8." >> i'm not like anyone, i'm me. >> reporter: in 1963 taylor became the highest paid actress in film history, receiving $1 million for "cleopatra." still married to fisher, she began a stormy love affair with her co-star, husband five and six richard burton. they were boozy and volatile. the couple would make nine films together with "who's afraid of virginia woolf" earning taylor her second oscar. what's considered her finest performance. theirs was a larger than life romance right down to the 69.5 carat diamond burton bought for her. they divorced in 1976. in 1991, taylor surprised everyone with her e

in all, elizabeth taylor was married eight times including singer eddie fisher who was married to debbie reynolds when they met. there was also senator john warner of virginia and a handyman she met when they were both in rehab. they were married at michael jackson's neverland ranch. they would remain close friends till his death. through much of her life she's had health problems, near-fatal pneumonia, a brain tumor, substance abuse and weight problems. elizabeth taylor was a constant target of the tabloid media. like the time in 2006 when she reportedly was close to death suffering from alzheimer's. >> come on, do i look like i'm dying? >> reporter: taylor devoted much of her life raising money for aids research. >> if you reach out to them, you receive so much love in return. >> reporter: but it is what people notice first about elizabeth taylor that will remain in our memory, it was her eyes. they were violet and extraordinary. especially on the big screen. elizabeth taylor, a true beauty. funeral arrangements are still spending. here in los angeles, i'm chuck henry, nbc bay area new

the two patched up their friendship, after taylor stole eddie fisher from reynolds. >> of course, wehad a bumpy ride there for a little while when she sought company of my husband permanently, which was an unusual occurrence. and we were past through that. through the years, we remained friends. i spoke with elizabeth about two to three weeks ago. she said it was really tough. and she was not happy with the way things were going. but that she was doing the best she could. and she said old age is not for sissies, which we all know is true. >> pretty amazing, those two able to maintain that friendship after all that. we will hear from debbie reynolds on "good morning america," as well. >> plus, the husbands the jewels and the legacy of this legendary icon elizabeth taylor. >>> well, singer, chris brown, is apologizing for his actions after an appearance on "good morning america." he spoke with robin roberts on tuesday. and in that interview, she asked about his domestic abuse case involving his former girlfriend rihanna. after performing, brown broke a window in his dressing room. last

mike todd, killed in a plane crash, and eddie fisher. her stormy romance with richard burton, whom she met on the set of "cleopatra" was a drama all by itself. they married and divorced twice. she worried u.s. senator, john warner and larry fortensky, a construction worker she met in rehab at the betty ford clinic. her own story from story book beginning, to tragedy. poor health. later, using her fame to sell perfume. she also used her influence to raise millions of dollars to fight against aids. >> i call on the u.s. government to lead the charge, with the sole intent of finding an hiv vaccine. >> reporter: she was given the oscar a third time for her humanitarian work. but for all of her accomplishments, elizabeth taylor will be remembered like this. ♪ film preserves an image. and it preserves elizabeth taylor as one of the last great movie stars. sharyn alfonsi, abc news. >>> oh those great black and white pictures. someone who knew elizabeth taylor well is our friend barbara walters. she joins us live from the set of "the view." than

and singer eddie fisher. followed by u.s. senator john warner, and finally construction worker, larry fortenski. she suffered through near-fatal bouts of pneumonia, addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs, a brain tumor, hip surgeries, as well as back and heart problems. despite everything, taylor always seemed to survive. >> either you look forward to waking up or you don't. i do. >> these have always brought me luck. >> reporter: when her acting career waned, taylor launched a successful perfume empire. when her weight ballooned, she developed her own hit and wrote a best-selling diet book. in her later years, taylor became a tireless crusader in the fight against aids, using her fame to raise both money and awareness. >> the government is not doing enough. they should be sending billions. >> reporter: in september 2009, she appeared frail at her friend michael jackson's funeral. taylor is survived by four children and ten grandchildren. she also had four great-grandchildren. there is, as we noted, a pri

then came actor eddie fisher, who'd served as best man at her previous wedding.er on, taylor married john warner, who became a u.s. senator from virginia. they divorced in 1982. her last marriage came in 1991, to larry fortensky-- a truck driver and construction worker. it ended after six years. throughout her life, taylor struggled with medical problems, undergoing at least 20 major operations. she also battled addictions to pain killers and alcohol. >> i consumed inordinate amounts of alcohol, and combined with pills, it was deadly. >> brown: her screen roles became increasingly rare in the 1980s, and her attention turned to philanthropy. taylor became an early advocate of the fight against aids, after the death of her former colleague and close friend rock hudson. >> in the american tradition, we taylor helped raise more than $100 million, and co-founded the american foundation for aids research. when i joined this war nearly 30 years ago, everyone died of aids. today, over 40 million people live healthy, powerful lives with hiv. >> brown: today, fans paid tri

her dad, eddie fisher.ylor. >> i spoke to sally morrison, her long time publicist and friend, and i asked how her four children are doing during a very difficult time. >> i think as is expected, they're very, very sad. you have to understand that elizabeth is a national treasure, a global treasure, and i think that their whole lives of family have shared her with the world. and right now, this is their time to sort of be private and have her alone. and is i have to say, we're all really grateful the press has left them alone. and they need that time. it's their mom. >> i know she spent six weeks in the hospital this last time. and i had heard there were some thoughts that she was improving enough, maybe where she should come home before things took a turn for the worse. it's a difficult question to ask, sally, but was she aware of the seriousness of her condition in her final days? >> i think she was very aware of the seriousness of her condition. she had been in the hospital a long time. she had been hospi

both were married at the time she to singer eddie fisher. he had to actress sybil williams.s that get on your nerves sometimes? >> well, i'm a professional jew. it's a good contest. >> i once remember telling.... >> i mean after all we we do jesus christ. he's claimed it but he hasn't convinced me yet. >> jesus christ was unquestionable.... >> (screaming). >> osgood: elizabeth taylor had four children from three of her marriages. they came of age during the '60s and '70s, the era of flower power, hippies and marijuana. >> you two are parents. and very devoted ones. as far as i watched you with your children. what do you think about the problem of this modern world and all the changes that is blinking the children. something wrong with the younger generation, elizabeth? >> oh, god, i don't know. but i think my kids are on a right track. my oldest son, 17, he's been hippy hunted down. he has long hair. i like hair. he looks beautiful. >> do you mean people insult him? >> oh, they insult him. they say, hey, girly. you know, attack him. >> he's not at all girly. >> oh, boy. one

taylor won two oscars, collected countless diamonds, and amassed eight husbands including singer eddie fisherstole him from her friend and fellow actress debbie reynolds. they made up years later when taylor threw fisher out. >> she was just bawdy. she had a mouth, you know, that she could keep up with the longshoremen and then the men loved it. >> reporter: including the late michael jackson. her close friend who helped keep taylor and her aids charity work in the public eye long after her movie career had cooled. >> 65 years. that's a long run to be in the public eye. i think she was one of a kind. >> reporter: elizabeth taylor has been a star as long as there's been stars here on the hollywood walk of fame. back in 1960 her name was one of the very first put on this sidewalk. and now taylor's fans are placing their own tributes. >> truly the end of an era. like hollywood never had before and probably never will again. >> reporter: because there was only one elizabeth taylor. ben tracy, cbs news, hollywood. >> joining us with more is film critic jeffrey lyons. >> how are you doing? >> she c

taylor converted when she married eddie fisher. the service also began with a touch of humor.ent ben tracy has more. >> reporter: several black limousines carrying elizabeth taylor's family to forest lawn cemetery. the private service was set to begin at 2:00 but the ever-dramatic actress left specific instructions that it begin 15 minutes later than scheduled as she, quote, even wanted to be late for her own funeral. during the one-hour service, actor colin farrell, taylor's close friend, did a poetry reading. >> just i think an outpouring of love and affection for this woman who moved so many people. >> reporter: elizabeth taylor is now in good company. forest lawn is the final resting place of fellow screen legends jean harlow and clark gable. cles than two years ago, taylor attended services at the same tell tear for her once close friend michael jackson. her crypt is now near his, inside this building known as the great maus see up. >> would you say, literally, is it something you had come to? >> reporter: while it has been decades since the actress was a major on-screen

elizabeth taylor became jewish when she was 27 before her marriage to eddie fisher, her fourth of seven husbands. her final resting place, forest lawn, is where many hollywood stars are also buried including clark gable, jean harlow, w.c. fields and walt disney. at the end of the service there was no procession and family members departed as quietly as they arrived, silent in their private grief. as for a public memorial service sometime in the future a publicly said said it could be several weeks before those details are confirmed. matt? >> all right. mark potter in glendale, california, this morning. thank you very much. >> seems like it would be like elizabeth taylor even in talking about a funeral that is so sad she would leave us with a smile. arriving fashionably late. natalie is at the news desk for me this morning. >> good morning. across the middle east, tensions remain on the rise in the middle east. rockets from the gaza strip landed deeper in israel than they have in years. israel struck back with air raids. in syria it was declared a day of dignity. they plan to rally after