The Unfilmable Play
In 1962, Edward Albee’s play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? hit Broadway like a thunderclap. A brutal, booze-soaked look at the psychological warfare waged between a middle-aged professor, George, and his wife, Martha, the play was a sensation, winning
a Tony Award for Best Play. But its raw language and bleak subject matter made it seem impossible to adapt for the screen under the restrictive Motion Picture Production Code. Jack Warner of Warner Bros. was the only studio head bold enough to try. When he bought the rights, he initially told Albee he envisioned Bette Davis and James Mason in the lead roles—a pairing the playwright loved. But the calculus of star power would soon change everything.
Too Young, Too Beautiful, Too Much
When screenwriter and producer Ernest Lehman took control of casting, he had a secret, radical idea: Elizabeth Taylor for Martha. At 33, Taylor was the biggest, most glamorous movie star in the world, but she was also considered far too young and beautiful to play the frumpy, 50-something Martha. The studio was aghast. An internal memo reportedly circulated with a clear directive: "Taylor's image must not be compromised." The concern was that casting her in such a haggard, unglamorous role could damage the valuable brand they had spent over a decade building. Playwright Edward Albee was also disappointed, believing Taylor was two decades too young for the part. Even Taylor's husband and eventual co-star, Richard Burton, initially thought she was wrong for it.
A Star's Audacious Gambit
The studio and the critics had underestimated Elizabeth Taylor's will. She had grown tired of roles that relied solely on her looks and saw in Martha a chance to prove the depth of her talent. She agreed to play the part and, in a move that secured the film's financing and buzz, insisted her husband Richard Burton play George. To inhabit the role of the bitter, weary Martha, Taylor threw vanity aside. She gained 30 pounds, worked with makeup artists and hairdressers to look older and more worn down, and adopted a posture and voice that were utterly alien to her public persona. She deliberately chose unflattering blouses and smeared her own lipstick to ensure she looked authentically disheveled. It was a complete physical and psychological transformation.
A Career-Defining Triumph
The result was one of the most ferocious and critically acclaimed performances in cinema history. Released in 1966, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was a massive critical and commercial success. All four of its main actors—Taylor, Burton, George Segal, and Sandy Dennis—were nominated for Academy Awards. Taylor's performance as Martha was hailed as a tour de force, a brave and gut-wrenching portrayal of rage and vulnerability. She won her second Oscar for Best Actress, a victory that silenced anyone who had ever dismissed her as just a pretty face. Even Uta Hagen, the actress who originated the role on Broadway, reportedly said that Taylor found dimensions to Martha that she herself had missed.
