Sometimes we have to say goodbye far too soon to actors who have meant a lot to us and whom we will never forget. One of these is Brittany Murphy, who passed away on December 20, 2009 at the age of just 32. She would have celebrated her 46th birthday on November 10.
Brittany Murphy sang as a background singer in the musical when she was nine Les Miserables. This was the beginning of her career in the entertainment industry. At the age of fourteen she got the role in the series Drexell’s Class, in which she played for a year. She then played guest roles in several series and provided the voice of Luanne Platter in the popular American cartoon series King of the Hillwhich she continued to do throughout her career.
Clueless
In 1995 she played a supporting role in Clueless, which would be her big break. In the film she plays the role of Tai Frasier who is the new girl at school and is helped by Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone), the most popular and fashion-conscious girl at school. Cher has been accused of only thinking about herself and therefore decides to help Tai by making her popular. But everything goes out of hand when Tai becomes more popular than Cher.
After her role in Clueless she starred in several popular films, such as the Oscar-winning Girl, Interrupted. Other highlights included Don’t Say a Word, 8 Mile, Uptown Girls, Just Married and Sin City. In 2006, she lent her voice to the penguin Gloria in the animated film Happy Feet. Murphy, who in addition to acting could also sing well, also sang the song for this film Boogie Wonderland again.
Pneumonia
Murphy was found unconscious in the shower of her husband Simon Monjack’s home by her mother on December 20, 2009. Emergency services tried to resuscitate her on the way to the hospital to no avail. Murphy was pronounced dead upon arrival. In early February 2010, the coroner announced that she had died as a result of pneumonia, iron deficiency, anemia and excessive use of legal medicines.
On May 24, 2010, five months after her death, it was announced that her husband Simon Monjack had also died at the age of 40. He was found dead in the marital home and was also found to have died of pneumonia. In July 2010, Murphy and Monjack’s home was examined for the presence of mold that could have caused the condition.
Documentary
After her death, a number of films were released in which Murphy starred. The last film she starred in was Something Wicked, which was released in 2014.
Murphy’s death still resonates after all these years. The documentary came in 2020 Brittany Murphy: An ID Mystery (available via Prime Video) in which her father searches for the real cause of her death. Because her father and half-brother as well as a forensic expert involved doubt the version of the facts and have their own theories ready. For example, Murphy’s half-brother believes in the documentary that the actress was poisoned in order to benefit financially from her death. Her death will probably always remain a mystery.
