How Elizabeth Taylor's Kind Words Turned a Liverpool Bank Robber Into a Hollywood Butler

Before Terry Moogan became a butler for Hollywood’s elite, he led a life of crime on the streets of Liverpool. Moogan, now a memoirist, has opened up about the extraordinary journey that took him from robbing banks to rubbing shoulders with stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Clint Eastwood.

In his memoir, "Liverpool Bank Robber to Hollywood Butler," and its upcoming follow-up, Moogan details his transformation. He told Fox News Digital that his early years in Liverpool were defined by poverty and gangs. "We all hung around gangs," he said. "Liverpool’s got a history of gangs, very powerful men. We’d just come out of the war in England, and we had nothing."

As a teenager, Moogan and his friends turned to petty theft and eventually began robbing banks. By 16, he was already deep in a life of crime. "We had no money," he recalled. "My father was absent, and I was left to my own devices."

But in 1975, a twist of fate changed everything. Moogan’s brother urged him to join him in Southampton to work on the luxury ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2. Though initially unsure, Moogan found himself working in the galley and eventually moved up to being a waiter. Two years later, he was promoted to the ship’s penthouse, where he encountered Hollywood icons like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

It was a chance meeting with Taylor that set the stage for his remarkable transformation. "She looked at me and said, 'Have you ever thought about being a movie star?' I laughed it off," Moogan recounted. But Taylor’s advice was sincere. She suggested he move to California and work as a butler, a suggestion that stuck with him. "She didn’t judge me," Moogan said. "She gave me hope there was a better life out there for me."

Moogan admitted he was tempted to steal Taylor’s jewels but couldn’t bring himself to do it. "She was so beautiful; I just couldn’t do this to somebody like her," he said. Instead, he decided to leave his criminal past behind.

In 1980, at age 23, Moogan arrived in Los Angeles and began working as a butler in Beverly Hills. His first job was at Jack Benny’s old house, where he befriended Lucille Ball. He later worked for Clint Eastwood’s household, describing it as surprisingly down-to-earth. "Clint was very reserved and quiet," Moogan noted. "He would sit on the patio, relax, and always spend time with his children, who adored him."

Moogan’s career also included working for George Segal and prominent art collector Frederick R. Weisman. He humorously recalled an incident with Weisman, where playing Frank Sinatra’s "My Way" led to an unexpected outburst, as the song brought up memories of a dramatic barroom brawl involving Sinatra and Dean Martin.

By 1992, Moogan had retired from his role as a Hollywood butler and settled in California. Looking back, he credits Taylor’s kind words for setting him on the path to redemption. "I’m a great believer of God now," he said. "I’m grateful for the opportunities I was given. My life [changed] for the better."