Watching Clueless has always been a light, fun experience. But if there’s one thing about the movie that now elicits a twinge of sadness, it’s the fact that Brittany Murphy, such a burst of bubbly, innocent energy in the movie, is no longer here.
Murphy died on December 20, 2009; according to the LA County Coroner’s Office, her death was caused by pneumonia, with anemia and the effects of multiple prescription drugs playing secondary roles. She was only thirty-two.
In any interview for this book in which Brittany Murphy’s name came up—and given the importance of her role in the film, it came up in most of them—those who knew her spoke of her with great fondness and a continuing sense of sadness that she’s gone. Repeatedly, colleagues and friends said Murphy was very much the wide-eyed new girl in Hollywood when she played Tai in Clueless. She later gave herself a makeover of sorts and took on more leading-lady roles in films such as Don’t Say a Word and 8 Mile. But those who knew her and loved her say that her generosity of spirit never got a makeover. Because it didn’t need one.
Breckin Meyer, Travis: We did King of the Hill for eight years together after Clueless. She played the character of Joseph, but when Joseph went through puberty, I took over. She still stayed on as Luanne. So for eight years we were working twice a week on King of the Hill. She was amazing. She was so sweet and so much fun, and especially that character in Clueless—it was so easy for not just the audience, but also for Travis to fall in love with her because she’s just adorable. She’s so much fun. Even when she says that line, “You’re a virgin who can’t drive,” and it’s such a dis to Cher, you’re still like, “God, she’s so cute.” Look at the way that little mouth moves. She’s doing that Marisa Tomei–from–My Cousin Vinny thing, which is adorably weird. Brittany was unbelievable in that film and then backed it up with some amazing stuff after that. It continues to suck that she’s not here.
Paul Rudd, Josh: She was very, very nice. Really nice. Whenever I’d see her years after, whether it would be at an audition or just at a dinner or a party or something, it was always so great to see her. She was always very smiley and, you know: big hugs and smiles. Just a lovely girl.
Alicia Silverstone, Cher: The audition I remember the most was when Brittany Murphy came in. I didn’t know if I was really allowed to express my opinion on casting choices, but I couldn’t help myself after she read. She was so brilliant. It’s so weird to think she’s not around anymore. It seems very abstract.
Amy Heckerling, writer-director: She was like a puppy: just a ball of energy, and happy. Everybody loved her. I don’t think there was a person in the whole cast and crew that wasn’t just crazy about her.
Mona May, costume designer: There was something about her that really was already there, some kind of a star power or talent that you immediately knew. She just was really, really good. That character [in Clueless] became so alive. It wasn’t a farce. It was truly this young girl trying to find herself.
Elisa Donovan, Amber: She was so young, and I don’t just mean in age. And fiercely talented.
She didn’t like to be in the hair and makeup chair, which nobody really does. But with Amber, I was in there half the day, all the time, so everybody would come in and out and I’d still be sitting in there. She was shooting something and they wanted her to go in for touch-ups before she went back to set and they were doing my hair and she said: “No, no, I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m just going to do it myself.” And she would grab the curling iron and was trying to curl her hair really quick and they said, “What are you—what are you doing?” And she was always very energetic and flittery. And she just burned the side of her head. I mean, it was sizzling with this curling iron. And then everybody’s freaking out because now they’ve got to cover up the burn on her head that she’s just got. [Laughing] She said, “Oh it’s fine, it’s fine, it’s fine. Everything’s fine.” She had a lot of energy.
Nicole Bilderback, Summer: She was always a delight. She was always so pleasant and funky and fun, and she was a unique, beautiful spirit. And funny. Really funny.
Justin Walker, Christian: Brittany Murphy was the most disarmingly over-the-top sweetheart that you could ever meet in your life. At that time in her life, she was always with her mom, and her mom was like that, too. I don’t know anything about her personal life after that. What I do know is that that path did not match the person that I knew.
Jeremy Sisto, Elton: I liked her a lot. She obviously had a very positive energy. . . . I feel like when she was in Clueless, she was this kid that was kind of real, I don’t know, not Hollywood at all. She never became Hollywood, but I remember seeing her and she started looking more and more glamorous every time I saw her. So it was kind of like she was one of those kids—like all of us, I guess—that grew up in the Hollywood world. And I was kind of there, too, so I always had a bond with her.
Stacey Dash, Dionne: She didn’t have a bad bone in her body. She had a contagious laugh. . . . It’s a tragic loss. It didn’t have to happen. And that’s what’s most tragic about it.
I think she had a concept of Hollywood and she wanted to fit into that concept, as opposed to being herself, you know, and making Hollywood conform to who she was. Which they would have, because she was so talented. This is what Hollywood does to you. It makes you feel like you have to be someone other than who you are. And that’s unfortunate.
Amy Heckerling: I felt like there was pressure from Hollywood to have a certain look and a certain way you had to be in order to be a star. I always missed the way that she looked when we were shooting. But she was always the most adorable, wonderful person. We all miss her so much. . . . Her talents never really got to be fully shown, the amount and the range that she had.
Kate Schellenbach, drummer, Luscious Jackson: Brittany Murphy was super, super nice and she came over and was hanging out with us [on the set of the “Here” music video].
At the time, our band was obsessed with the Judds, which was a very random thing to be obsessed with. There was going to be a Lifetime movie of the Judds’ life story on that day and we all really wanted to watch it and somehow Brittany Murphy got involved in this quest to find the television so we could watch the Lifetime movie. I don’t recall if we ever saw it. But I just remember she was just really sweet and social. . . . Later, I worked in television. I worked as an interview producer, a celebrity segment producer, on talk shows.
I started working at Ellen, and Brittany Murphy ended up being one of my guests that I had produced. I had a preinterview with her and said, “Oh, you and I have met before,” and I mentioned the video and stuff and she remembered everything. She was like, “Oh my God!” You know, it’s sad to me now because she was such a sweet girl, and super engaged and one of those people who has no filter, where they just glom onto anyone who is around. Like they’re too nice, in a way.
Donald Faison, Murray: When we did the movie, she was an actual teenager and I got to know her as a young adult, also. She was so loving and happy. And she had that spark. Hollywood starlets try to get that, but it was just natural for her. There was something about Brittany’s spirit. Yeah, man, it is tough to believe that she’s gone. One, because she was so young, and two, because it just seemed like she had a lot more to do on this side of things. Wherever she’s at now—if there is an afterlife, I’m sure she’s there rockin’ out and making the most out of it. She was such an awesome person.
Amy Heckerling: I have the Brittany Murphy silver Doc Martens that she wore to the dance. They fit me. I just like having a piece of her. She means, and she meant, so much to me.