The new documentary Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes sheds light on the Hollywood star's emotionally turbulent marriages, focusing especially on her fourth marriage to singer Eddie Fisher.

Directed by Nanette Burstein, the documentary includes revelations from 40 hours of conversations between Taylor and journalist Richard Meryman made in 1964 and 1965, and discusses, among other things, a suicide attempt stemming from the actress' marital unhappiness, as People reports.

Taylor, who was married eight times to seven husbands, opens up in the documentary about her difficult marriage to Eddie Fisher, with whom she co-starred in the film BUtterfield 8. She candidly admits that she never loved Fisher and felt trapped during their union.

Elizabeth Taylor's Candid Reflections

Taylor's fourth marriage to Fisher is notably dissected in the recently released documentary on HBO, which premiered on Aug. 3. The actress revealed that although she liked Fisher and had sympathy for him, he was not the love of her life.

"I never loved Eddie. I liked him. I felt sorry for him," Taylor confides in the tapes. Her conversations with Meryman also unveil that she felt incredibly lonely in her marriage, exacerbated by Fisher's controlling nature. "Eddie made sure that I felt lonely. We never went out," Taylor disclosed during the interviews. This sense of isolation eventually led to a drastic and desperate moment in her life.

Elizabeth Taylor's Desperate Act

During her tumultuous marriage to Fisher, Taylor reached a point of deep despair. She attempted suicide by consuming sleeping pills right in front of Fisher. This tragic incident serves as a stark testament to her profound unhappiness at that time. "I’d rather be dead than face divorce. I was fed up with living," Taylor confessed, revealing just how suffocating her marriage to Fisher had become. She later looked back on the suicide attempt with regret, recognizing its self-indulgent nature and its troubling impact on her children.

At the time of the recordings, Taylor was at the zenith of her fame, starring alongside Richard Burton in the film Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Her subsequent marriages and relationships continued to be closely watched by the public.

The Fallout of Fisher and Taylor's Union

The union between Taylor and Fisher had a scandalous beginning. Fisher, who was a close friend of Taylor's late third husband Mike Todd, sought solace with Taylor after Todd died in a plane crash. However, this led to Fisher's highly publicized divorce from actress Debbie Reynolds.

Their divorce was finalized just three hours before Fisher and Taylor got married in 1959, causing a national uproar. Despite the controversy, their marriage turned out to be fraught with issues.

In her candid interviews, Taylor described the marriage as a mistake and a form of imprisonment. "It was one big friggin’ awful mistake," she stated, reflecting on the union.

Elizabeth Taylor's Reflection on Past Choices

Taylor compared Fisher unfavorably to her third husband, Mike Todd, a prominent film producer known for Around the World in 80 Days, who had fathered a child with Taylor before his untimely death.

Their shared grief brought Taylor and Fisher together, but Taylor later admitted that Fisher failed to measure up to Todd’s memory. The loneliness she felt during her marriage to Fisher was a harsh contrast to her previous relationship.

Reminiscing about the impact of her actions, Taylor expressed significant regret for her suicide attempt, particularly because of how it would affect her four children, whom she cherished.

Previewing a Cinematic Revelation

Taylor passed away in 2011 at the age of 79 due to congestive heart failure. Her legacy as a Hollywood icon is indelible, and this documentary offers an unvarnished glimpse into her personal struggles and triumphs.

The documentary Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival before its HBO debut, provides new insights into Taylor's life and the complexities of her relationships.

The tapes with Richard Meryman are a crucial part of this narrative, capturing Taylor's raw and unfiltered thoughts during pivotal moments in her life.

Conclusion

Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes has unearthed in-depth insights from the legendary actress’s personal life, particularly her troubled marriage to Eddie Fisher.

Directed by Nanette Burstein, the documentary presents 40 hours of Taylor's conversations with journalist Richard Meryman, recorded in the mid-1960s.

These tapes provide an eye-opening look at Taylor’s feelings of loneliness, her suicide attempt, and her reflections on past decisions -- all set against the backdrop of her immense fame.

The documentary paints a poignant picture of the struggles behind Taylor's glamorous façade, offering viewers a deeper understanding of her complex, multifaceted life.