Kim Kardashian: Interviewing Elizabeth Taylor soon before her death was surreal
The reality star is an executive producer on a new three-part series about the actress.
Kim Kardashian has said it “felt surreal” to speak to Hollywood actress Dame Elizabeth Taylor for what is thought to be her last-ever interview.
The US media personality who found fame on reality show Keeping Up With Kardashians, alongside her family members, is an executive producer on BBC Arts’ new three-part series about the actress.
The 43-year-old spoke to Dame Elizabeth for a Harper’s Bazaar profile the month before her death in 2011 where the pair shared stories about their love for jewellery.
Speaking about the interview, Kardashian said: “I was doing a shoot for Harper’s Bazaar and they said they’d love it to have a Cleopatra-themed cover, and that I could interview Elizabeth for the cover story.”
Dame Elizabeth famously played the Egyptian queen in 1963 romance film Cleopatra.
“Everyone knew how much I loved her and I was so excited,” Kardashian said.
“Interviewing her felt surreal, I was so nervous.
“Just to know we had a good time doing it. Elizabeth would laugh and say, ‘I can’t believe you know so much. I can’t believe you know more about my jewellery than I even remember.'”
Kardashian also said that Dame Elizabeth helped in “paving the way” for women like her.
“I’ve always looked to her to motivate me,” she said.
“It doesn’t matter what’s acceptable to other people if you believe in it and that’s what you want to fight for.
“You fight for those people who don’t have voices, to be their voice.
“I think if you have a platform that you can use to talk about the issues that are really wrong with this world, then you’re shedding a light for so many people that otherwise they might not even know about.
“Elizabeth has been such an inspiration to me. She was a huge driving force in paving the way for anyone in my position today.
“It’s not easy to be first, you know? And I love that there’s someone like her to look up to”.
As well as being one of the most recognisable faces in 20th century cinema, Dame Elizabeth was also one of the first celebrities to call for greater awareness of HIV/Aids.
Among her best-known films are National Velvet, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Butterfield 8.
The BBC Arts series includes first-hand testimony from those closest to Taylor, from family members to her friends and famous faces including Kardashian, Michael Jackson’s daughter Paris, singer Sharon Stone and actress Dame Joan Collins, who competed with her for the role of Cleopatra.
Leading scientist Dr Anthony Fauci, former chief medical adviser to the US president, will also feature to discuss his work alongside Dame Elizabeth in the fight against Aids.
Elizabeth Taylor: Rebel Superstar is coming to BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on Friday September 27.
