Elizabeth Taylor a Hollywood Legend known for her beauty and acting Talent faced a life-threatening illness that nearly ended her career early on in 1961 while filming Cleopatra Taylor suffered from a severe bought of pneumonia that required an emergency tracheotomy the scar from the surgery became a symbol of her strength and she went on to complete the film becoming the first actress to earn a $1 million salary Taylor's resilience in the face of University cemented her status as one of the most enduring stars of her generation