Richard Burton interview: Elizabeth Taylor

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Burton on Elizabeth Taylor

Richard Burton reflects on his often tempestuous relationship with Elizabeth Taylor, whom he was married to twice. This clip was taken from the programme Kane on Friday: Richard Burton, which was broadcast in 1977.

Last updated: 23 March 2011

In 1963 Burton took the role of Mark Antony in Cleopatra, acting opposite Taylor. At the time it was the most expensive film ever made, with costs reaching almost $40 million. It established Burton as one of Hollywood's top earners, but perhaps more significantly, it was on the set of Cleopatra that the couple fell in love.

Although they were both married to others at the time, their relationship was endlessly scrutinised and celebrated by the media. The couple married on 15 March 1964 in Montreal, Canada, against the advice of his family.

The couple divorced in 1974, but remarried on 10 October 1975. The second union lasted less than a year.


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