Elizabeth Taylor was among the last of the great American golden-age film legends, and the news today of her passing has brought great sadness upon the entertainment industry. On the occasion of the February 2007 issue of Interview devoted entirely to Elizabeth Taylor, then-editor Ingrid Sischy executed an extensive interview with the actress and icon. The issue also included original artist commissions devoted to Taylor and interviews with people in her life and just a few of those who admired her, including Madonna, Tom Ford, Anne Hathaway, Todd Haynes, and many more.

As Sischy wrote in her letter from the editor for that issue, "Hers is a life that is as large as it gets-so full of inspiration, and romance, and heartbreak, and drama, and happiness, and pain, and triumphs, and disappointments, and beauty, and struggles, and achievements, and surprises, that it could fill many magazines and books." It is with the greatest fondness and respect for Dame Elizabeth Taylor that we present the first of several excerpts from that issue. Stay tuned throughout the day for more.


INGRID SISCHY: Is this Dame Elizabeth?

ELIZABETH TAYLOR: Yes, it is.

IS: Hello, it's Ingrid.

ET: Hi, Ingrid.

IS: I'm happy to hear your voice. I heard you went swimming with sharks.

ET: Yes! [laughs] I had such a great time. It really got me rolling out of my wheelchair and into the water. It was amazing.