The Associated Press/ File photo In a Sept. 22, 1951 file photo, Elizabeth Taylor is shown at the premiere of “The Lady with the Lamp” at the Warner Theater in London. Publicist Sally Morrison says the actress died Wednesday, March 23, 2011 in Los Angeles of congestive heart failure at age 79. (The Associated Press/ File Photo)

Reveled as Hollywood’s last living movie star, dame Elizabeth Taylor’s catalog of films span decades upon decades and features some of the most iconic performances in the history of American cinema. As a two-time Academy Award winner, Taylor took the movie world by storm during the late ‘50s and early 1960s.

Taylor, while second-to-none in her plethora of roles, was a tabloid sensation for her numerous marraiges.

Plagued with a variety of health issues, Taylor succumbed to congestive heart failure early Wednesday morning. The news, which shook the entertainment industry, was received by her fans quite solemnly.

One of Taylor’s earlier projects included the movie “Giant,” the 1956 classic that spanned the life of a Texas cattle rancher. With a variety of the scenes filmed in Marfa, Texas, “Giant” is Taylor’s closest connection to the Lone Star State. In 2006, SMU’s Hamon Arts Library featured an exhibit of the film celebrating the movie’s 50th anniversary.

While “Giant” may have been Taylor’s most memorable performance in Texan terms, the actress starred in a variety of famous roles that have made her one of the most famous actresses in a century of cinema.

The Texas Theatre will be showing a special screening of “Giant” on April 6, as a remembrance to the actress.

TAYLOR’S TOP 4 ROLES

1) “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (1966)

In the 1960s drama, Elizabeth Taylor played Martha, an angry, aging woman. The role, which won Taylor an Oscar, was deemed as one of the best of her career. Taylor’s counterpart in the film was Richard Burton, the actor who soon after the film, became Taylor’s husband.

2) “Cleopatra” (1963)

In the Hollywood epic that was “Cleopatra,” Taylor played the film’s historic lead with enough sass and wit to make ancient Egypt intriguing. With lavish costumes, an expensive set, and a grand production, Taylor stole the show as the most famous female leader in all of history. Starring alongside Burton again, Taylor did not receive a nomination from the Academy for her role, however, the movie did pick up the trophy for Best Cinematography.

3) “BUtterfield 8” (1960)

Starring as Gloria Wandrous, a Manhattan-based, part–time model, Taylor won an Oscar for her performance in “BUtterfield 8.” The story, which pinned Taylor as a model stuck in the middle of an affair with a prominent New Yorker, Weston Ligget (played by Laurence Harvey) won over critics and fans alike.

4) “National Velvet” (1944)

At the young of 12, when “National Velvet” was released, Taylor’s role as a gifted horse jockey propelled her to stardom and solidified her as a bona fide child star. As one of Taylor’s only features as a young actress, the Hollywood icon moved on from “National Velvet” to star in bigger, more dramatic roles.