A Bond That Lasted A Lifetime: Elizabeth Taylor and Roddy McDowall

The friendship between Elizabeth Taylor and Roddy McDowall is no doubt one of the most enduring that has ever sprung up in Hollywood. In their close relationship, both Elizabeth and Roddy found a person who loved and supported them, without fail or reservation. 

The two met as young actors in 1943 on the set of MGM’s Lassie Come Home, Elizabeth’s first movie with the studio. Both hailing from England, the pair became fast friends, forming an instantaneous bond that would last a lifetime. 

Roddy and Elizabeth in 1943.

Elizabeth and Roddy appeared onscreen together multiple times throughout the years — after their initial appearance in Lassie Come Home followed by The White Cliffs of Dover in 1944, the two were reunited on film for Cleopatra in 1963. They also starred in an episode of the primetime soap opera Hotel in 1984.

After bonding on set, the two spent plenty of time in their personal lives together as well, sharing dinners at his house, Sunday afternoon gatherings at her house and trips together across the globe. Roddy can even be heard in the background of some of the recordings featured in HBO’s documentary Elizabeth: The Lost Tapes, as he was present for many of them. Ever supportive friends, they stood by each other’s side through anything and everything. Even so, both led full lives that sometimes got in the way of the two friends being able to spend time together in-person — despite this, they maintained their close connection via regular phone calls. Roddy rang Elizabeth’s home every single day for years, simply to check in on his beloved friend.

The level of trust that Elizabeth had in her friend was captured in the photographs Roddy took of her. Although she was one of the most famous women in the world, Elizabeth did not like having her picture taken. Despite her aversion to being photographed, she let her close friend Roddy direct the attention of his camera her way, and in fact blossomed in front of his lens. With him, the lifelong friend she loved so much, she was able to let her guard down and share more of her true self. 

Candid photograph of Elizabeth by Roddy.

Roddy passed away in 1998, from cancer. Elizabeth was in San Francisco when Roddy called to share the sad news of his prognosis, and Elizabeth returned to Los Angeles to support and comfort her friend, visiting him each day until his last. After he died, she held a small service at her home, to celebrate and commemorate his life and what their true friendship meant to her.

A few months after Roddy passed away, Dominick Dunne wrote of the legendary friendship between him and Elizabeth in a piece for Vanity Fair, describing his last visit with Roddy:

"Elizabeth was here last night," he said. "Sitting right there where you are." Even as he was dying, when he talked about Elizabeth Taylor, the "Elizabeth look" came over his face, a fond smile at the corners of his mouth and a faraway look in his eyes. Oh, what a friendship those two had…Roddy would never gossip about Elizabeth, even though the nature of her life is such that there has always been something to gossip about. If there were trespasses, he forgave them. When there were triumphs, he cheered loudest for her. In her times of sadness, and there were many, he grieved with her.”

Elizabeth and Roddy in 1997, photographed by Firooz Zahedi.