Casting the Inevitable Elizabeth Taylor Biopic

Two weeks after her passing, Elizabeth Taylor‘s admirers will have the chance to reflect on her illustrious career during TCM‘s 24-hour marathon on April 10; 11 of her films, including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Butterfield 8, and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, will be playing. But fans have something else to look forward to as well; an inevitable Elizabeth Taylor biopic has Oscar-seeking actresses clamoring for the chance to portray the two-time Academy Award-winning movie icon on the big screen. 

images: WENN.com

It’s the role of a lifetime, and Taylor herself expressed a very strong opinion on which actress should be given the part. “Hold your horses world,” she tweeted last year in response to rumors that Angelina Jolie and Catherine Zeta-Jones were vying for the role. “No one is going to play Elizabeth Taylor, but Elizabeth Taylor herself.” We agree there will never be another Elizabeth Taylor, but here are five leading ladies who we think should be given the chance. And no, this Harper’s Bazaar article does not put Kim Kardashian in the running.

Images: Bazaar / WENN.com

I said it three years ago, and I’ll say it again: Camilla Belle is a dead ringer (not the most appropriate description, but definitely the most accurate) for a young Elizabeth Taylor and, therefore, the perfect choice to play Liz in a biopic. Camilla is stunning, and at 24, she’s potentially still young enough to portray Taylor’s National Velvet years and could segway into some of Taylor’s later work with aging makeup effects, like Marion Cotillard did in La Vie en Rose. If Camilla can tear herself away from serious acting work like From Prada to Nada, this could be her long-overdue big break. She also gets bonus points for having the correct brow shape.

Images: WENN.com

Besides naming her dog Elizabeth Taylor on Sex and the City, Kristin Davis also bears a striking resemblance to the late silver screen legend. We would love to see Kristin carry a film and hopefully, in the process, save us from a potential Sex and the City 3. Whether it’s a major motion picture or a Lifetime Original Movie, we are putting money on this casting happening.

Images: WENN.com

Angelina Jolie makes our short list because of something we’re calling the “Cleopatra-effect”. Only a few Hollywood ingénues have been tapped to portray the queen of the Nile, one of the most powerful and seductive women in all of history, and Taylor and Jolie have both had the honor. Taylor’s Cleopatra in 1963 cemented her movie star status and Jolie’s Cleopatra, currently in pre-production, looks to be just as epic (but significantly less costly thanks to CGI technology). Angelina looks to be too busy being Hollywood royalty to portray Hollywood royalty on screen, but any movie studio would be crazy to deny her the role if she wanted it.

Images: WENN.com/Emma Watson

Emma Watson is our dark horse for the coveted part. Just think, she can identify with Taylor’s past as a child actress, and her unexpected pixie cut last year proved she is up for drastically changing her look. Also, a biopic seems like a good career move for Emma, in addition to her role in the upcoming dark comedy Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Images: WENN.com / Interview

Lastly, our wildcard pick Lindsay Lohan would definitely be a shocker. But she does have some experience: she channeled Taylor for a 2006 Interview magazine cover and, like Liz’s book title, My Love Affair With Jewelry, Lindsay has a penchant for expensive accessories. Joking aside, behind her legal troubles, she’s a talented actress and is in desperate need of a good comeback role. But Parent Trap fans shouldn’t get their hopes up, we can’t see a studio casting Lindsay in anything right now.  

Check out our style icon gallery of Elizabeth Taylor’s career here. Have a better actress in mind? Leave a comment with your thoughts on our picks or suggest one of your own.

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