11 episodes

In a world where “influence” equals follower counts and likes, there was one woman who, over the course of her career and half a century before, defined the meaning of influence and transformed its power.  She went the distance by living a remarkable life beyond the dazzle - breaking ground as the first true influencer.

Her name?  Elizabeth Taylor.

Narrated by Katy Perry, Elizabeth the First is a 10-episode podcast series exploring the life of Elizabeth Taylor as Hollywood icon, mother, wife, entrepreneur, advocate… and influencer.

"Sumptuously produced" - The Toronto Star

Elizabeth the First is produced by Imperative Entertainment in association with House of Taylor and Kitty Purry Productions. Executive producers are Katy Perry, Jason Hoch, and Stephanie Koff. Elizabeth the First is narrated by Katy Perry, produced by Jason Hoch, and written by Stephanie Koff.  Sound Engineering and audio editing by Shaine Freeman and Jason Hoch.

House of Taylor Trustees are Quinn Tivey, Tim Mendelson, and Barbara Berkowitz, and its Brand Strategy Consultant is Erin Dawkins.  Marshall Eskowitz and Carey Schwartz of Sunset Blvd serve as Producing Partners and represent House of Taylor for Elizabeth Taylor licensing and content opportunities.

Jasha Klebe wrote and composed the original score.  Additional music provided by Rhys Tivey.

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Taylor, ©BertSternTrust photographed by Bert Stern. Cover art and design by Jeana Sullivan.

If you’d like to support The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, visit http://elizabethtayloraidsfoundation.org.

And, if you’d like to go deeper into the world of Elizabeth Taylor, keep an eye out for the first authorized biography about her life. Elizabeth Taylor: the Grit & Glamour of an Icon by #1 New York Times bestselling author Kate Andersen Brower will be out on December 6.

Elizabeth the First Imperative

    • Society & Culture
    • 3.9 • 282 Ratings

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Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

In a world where “influence” equals follower counts and likes, there was one woman who, over the course of her career and half a century before, defined the meaning of influence and transformed its power.  She went the distance by living a remarkable life beyond the dazzle - breaking ground as the first true influencer.

Her name?  Elizabeth Taylor.

Narrated by Katy Perry, Elizabeth the First is a 10-episode podcast series exploring the life of Elizabeth Taylor as Hollywood icon, mother, wife, entrepreneur, advocate… and influencer.

"Sumptuously produced" - The Toronto Star

Elizabeth the First is produced by Imperative Entertainment in association with House of Taylor and Kitty Purry Productions. Executive producers are Katy Perry, Jason Hoch, and Stephanie Koff. Elizabeth the First is narrated by Katy Perry, produced by Jason Hoch, and written by Stephanie Koff.  Sound Engineering and audio editing by Shaine Freeman and Jason Hoch.

House of Taylor Trustees are Quinn Tivey, Tim Mendelson, and Barbara Berkowitz, and its Brand Strategy Consultant is Erin Dawkins.  Marshall Eskowitz and Carey Schwartz of Sunset Blvd serve as Producing Partners and represent House of Taylor for Elizabeth Taylor licensing and content opportunities.

Jasha Klebe wrote and composed the original score.  Additional music provided by Rhys Tivey.

Photo Credit: Elizabeth Taylor, ©BertSternTrust photographed by Bert Stern. Cover art and design by Jeana Sullivan.

If you’d like to support The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, visit http://elizabethtayloraidsfoundation.org.

And, if you’d like to go deeper into the world of Elizabeth Taylor, keep an eye out for the first authorized biography about her life. Elizabeth Taylor: the Grit & Glamour of an Icon by #1 New York Times bestselling author Kate Andersen Brower will be out on December 6.

Listen on Apple Podcasts
Requires subscription and macOS 11.4 or higher

    Becoming Elizabeth Taylor | Chapter 1

    Becoming Elizabeth Taylor | Chapter 1

    To truly know and understand Elizabeth Taylor, we must start from the beginning.

    Elizabeth’s ambitious spirit was unmistakable early in life.  The relationship with her parents and the push into the glamour and prestige of Hollywood collided with the reality of a male-dominated business – one that was more interested in making Taylor a product, than the person she knew herself to be.

    Still, Elizabeth was different.  She found ways to escape the pressures of Hollywood, define who she was, and discover what mattered.  She developed an early confidence in herself - an intuition that would guide her, as she transformed into a star.
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    • 59 min
    Control | Chapter 2

    Control | Chapter 2

    Elizabeth Taylor’s career takes off, and she finds herself navigating a patriarchal movie studio system determined to own her every move… until she seizes the moment to take control. It was a time of great promise. Then, tragedy strikes.
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    • 1 hr 1 min
    The Boss Who Played Queen | Chapter 3

    The Boss Who Played Queen | Chapter 3

    Elizabeth Taylor overcomes unthinkable loss and rises as the biggest movie star on the planet. She uses this power to negotiate a legendary payday for her leading role as CLEOPATRA. All eyes are now on Elizabeth, and the years ahead will be tumultuous ones.
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    • 1 hr 12 min
    The Show | Chapter 4

    The Show | Chapter 4

    The white-hot relationship of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor captivates the world - leading to a series of high-profile roles and reputational lows. Despite the media’s obsession with tearing them down, the Taylor-Burton partnership grows well beyond their love for each other, and Elizabeth is the driving force. She uses the power of being the first celebrity hyphenate to strike smart deals, owning and producing one hit film after the next, while Burton helps develop her other passion - an extravagant jewelry collection.

    But as with all flames that burn white-hot, their partnership… and their success would not last.
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    • 52 min
    Home is Where the Heart is | Chapter 5

    Home is Where the Heart is | Chapter 5

    Elizabeth Taylor hits rock bottom, while being the biggest star in the world. She could follow the path of celebrities before her - either giving in to despair or rising from the ashes. Instead, she finds her own way. She opens her heart and shares her struggles with the world… and discovers the secret power of influence: authenticity.

    As her life expanded into terrain where no road map existed, Elizabeth stays grounded in family, friends, and truth. 
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    • 1 hr 8 min
    War | Chapter 6

    War | Chapter 6

    When a new virus ravages its way through the lives of those she loves, and America refuses to do anything to help, Elizabeth Taylor declares war on HIV/AIDS. She leverages all she has - her wealth, platform, status, and social capital to battle the devastating impact of HIV/AIDS. 

    Taylor knew this war would be long. The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation is born. 
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    • 1 hr 1 min

Customer Reviews

3.9 out of 5
282 Ratings

282 Ratings

ShannMM123 ,

Wanted to like

I was excited to start this podcast but unfortunately it’s just put together poorly. It’s choppy and very repetitive. Listening because it’s a great story but not sure I will finish all the episodes.

MonicaBTaylor ,

Great Story but Poorly Narrated & Produced

Great subject but I can’t finish listening. It’s repetitive, off-chronologically, and the host throws in “like a boss” and repeats “influencer” when it’s not fitting to the royalty of who was Elizabeth Taylor. Wanted to love, so disappointed.

Brown Diamonds ,

Poorly produced

Everyone is saying how Katy Perry is annoying, which is true, but annoyance is driven by the writing, at no complete fault to Perry.

The Giant era, James Dean’s death while they wrapped up filming, and the overall impact that the cast and production crew left on Marfa was completely skipped over.

Also, poor editing… lots of spots throughout various episodes where the audio randomly loops, overlaps, etc.

Elizabeth was such a perfectionist, and the final production quality would only have her rolling in her grave.

“Here lies Elizabeth. She hated to be called Liz. And she LIVED!”

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