We heard sad and horrible stories about actress Brittany Murphy’s death but most people forget the colorful and rich life she had lived in the entertainment industry. If not for her untimely death, she could’ve been 38 today.
Happy birthday, Britt.
1. Remember the “you’re a virgin and you can’t drive” meme? That’s Brittany. She starred in Clueless in 1995 as Tai Frasier.
- In Girl, Interrupted, it was said that they had to shoot the scene where Susanna (Winona Ryder) found her lifeless body because she was so moved by the actress’s portrayal. Later on it was reported that after Murphy’s death, Ryder cannot watch the movie anymore. Who says all friendships in Hollywood are superficial?
Brittany Murphy and Winona Ryder catching up in 2003
3. Murphy was well-applauded for her role in Uptown Girls alongside the then 9 year-old Dakota Fanning. Her acting was fresh but subtle. Just marvel at the simplicity of how she dismissed her ex-lover in this scene. It is heavy but restrained.
- Here’s what film critic Roger Ebert had to say about the actress.
“As for Brittany Murphy, for me it goes back to the 2003 Independent Spirit Awards, held the day before the Oscars in a big tent on the beach at Santa Monica. Murphy was assigned to present one of the awards. Her task was to read the names of the five nominees, open an envelope and reveal the name of the winner. This she turned into an opportunity for screwball improvisational comedy, by pretending she could not follow this sequence, not even after the audience shouted instructions and the stage manager came out to whisper in her ear not once but twice. There were those in the audience who were dumbfounded by her stupidity. I was dumbfounded by her brilliance. I had a front-row seat, and was convinced her timing was too good, her double-takes too perfect, her pauses too wicked, to even possibly be authentic. She was taking a routine task and turning it into the opportunity to steal a scene and leave everybody in the tent chattering about her performance. You can’t screw up that entertainingly by accident. You have to know exactly what you’re doing.”
5. Murphy was in the Closest Thing To Heaven music video by the English band Tears For Fears. This project thrilled her exceptionally since she has always been a fan of the band. Other artists she loved to listen to were Beck and The Rolling Stones. She just loved music. She was in the ‘90s band Blessed Soul and starred in the broadway musical A View in the Bridge.
- Not a lot of people will argue when you say that Murphy is a versatile actress. If you disagree, now is the time to watch all of her films. If you agree, it’s still a good idea to rewatch them.
Clips from some of Brittany Murphy movies: Sin City, The Ramen Girl, Something Wicked, Riding in Cars with Boys, Neverwas, Don’t Say A Word, Spun, The Devil’s Arithmetic
7. Murphy was also the voice of Gloria in the animated movie Happy Feet. It was a role she enjoyed a lot. “Oddly enough, of all the characters I’ve played, Gloria is the most like me. And she’s a penguin!”
