Before she died, ELIZABETH TAYLOR arranged for rugged Irish thesp COLIN FARRELL to stand in for her beloved RICHARD BURTON at her funeral. WHY?!
Liz and the hard-drinking 34-year-old had become close friends, sources say, and she regarded him as the reincarnation of her late husband.
"Liz saw a lot of Richard in Colin – the same wild ways, the same acting versatility, the same rebellious spirit," an insider divulged.
"So she let it be known before she died that she wanted Colin to read Richard's favorite poem at her funeral."
Farrell – the star of the hit movies Alexander, S.W.A.T. and Miami Vice – was the only A-list celebrity invited to the March 24 service. He gave a passionate reading of "The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo," by Gerard Manley Hopkins.
The Oscar-winning actress met Farrell several years ago at a celebrity event, and despite their 45-year age difference, the pair immediately hit it off, according to the insider.
"They started talking and Liz was simply enamored with him. They became close," the insider divulged.
"And of course, Liz would have totally enjoyed the notion of having a 34-year-old hunk."
All the eye-opening details are in the new ENQUIRER.
