Cleopatra & Mark Antony | Cleopatra

Cleopatra, the commanding and impressive Nile queen, ruled Egypt in the first century B.C. and has since become an immediately recognizable figure in popular culture. She’s inspired a Shakespeare play, appeared in a slew of bad and good movies and TV shows, and was featured in the most surreal music videos. Although many people still wonder what the real Cleopatra looks like, Hollywood has chosen to depict her as a stunning beauty.

Without a doubt, Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra is the most well-credited on-screen Cleopatra. Cleopatra, the most expensive film to date, was released in 1963, and according to Vanity Fair, “took $44 million (about $300 million today), two directors, two different casts, and two and a half years of on-and-off shooting in England, Italy, Egypt, and Spain.” Aside from Elizabeth’s iconic 65 costume changes, it was her on-screen and off-screen relationship with Mark Antony, played by Richard Burton, that captivated viewers — and in fact, both actors were married at the time.