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"I guess I'm very old-fashioned." Graduated bead drop pendant philanthropic interests included assistance for the Israeli War Victims Fund and the Variety Clubs International. She received the Legion ofHonor, France's most prestigious award, in 1987, for her efforts to support AIDS research. In May 2000, Queen Elizabeth II made Taylor a dame -- the female equivalent ofa knight -- for her services Heart and TIFF Box Charm the entertainment industry and to charity. In 1993, she won a lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute; in 1999, an institute survey ofscreen legends ranked her No. 7 among actresses. During much ofher later career, Taylor's waistline, various diets, diet books and tangled romances were the butt ofjokes by Joan Rivers and others. Heart Band Bangle mocked her on "Saturday Night Live," dressing up in drag and choking on a piece ofchicken. "It's a wonder I didn't explode," Taylor wrote ofher 60-pound weight gain -- and successful loss -- in the 1988 book "Elizabeth Takes Off on Self-Esteem and Self-Image." She was an iconic star, but her screen roles became increasingly rare in the 1980s and beyond. TIFF 1837 appeared in several television movies, including "Poker Alice" and "Sweet Bird ofYouth," and entered the Stone Age as Pearl Slaghoople in the movie version of"The Flintstones." She had a brief role on the popular soap opera "General Hospital." Taylor was the subject ofnumerous unauthorized biographies and herself worked on a handful ofbooks, including "Elizabeth Taylor: An Informal Memoir" and "Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair With Jewelry."