Cleopatra, the 1963 epic film starring Elizabeth Taylor, became famous for its unprecedented budget, scandalous behind-the-scenes drama, and lavish production. The film's troubled production nearly bankrupted 20th Century Fox, but the immense public fascination with Taylor and her co-star Richard Burton made it a box office success upon release. In 1959, Elizabeth Taylor was offered the titular role. She jokingly asked for a record-breaking $1 million salary, a figure the studio surprisingly agr

Happy International Women's Day! 💜💚🤍 On September 1, 1959, Elizabeth agreed to make “Cleopatra” (1963) for a then an unheard-of one million dollars and 10 percent of the absolute gross, making her the highest-paid film star in the world and shattering the glass ceiling for women in film. In "Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit & Glamour of an Icon," author Kate Andersen Brower takes us behind the scenes of how Elizabeth shrewdly negotiated her record-shattering contract, which saw her walk away with a