Although she’s no longer with us, Brittany Murphy continues to leave behind a legacy of memorable performances via more than a few iconic movies that have no-doubt shaped Hollywood and the entertainment industry into what it is today.
On December 20, 2009, news of Murphy’s untimely and sudden passing sent shockwaves through the entertainment world. On that fateful day, the 32-year-old actress was living in her Los Angeles home with her husband, Simon Monjack, and her mother when she collapsed on her bathroom floor.
Hours later, she was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical center from what a coroner later determined to be complications from pneumonia. An iron deficiency — also known as anemia — and drug intoxication were listed as contributing factors.
While the situation surrounding Murphy’s passing has been the subject of what feels like countless conspiracy theories and the 2021 two-part documentary series titled What Happened, Brittany Murphy?, what cannot be discredited or debated is the late actor’s impact on Hollywood — an impact that continues to this day.
From endearing classics like Clueless to noir-esque films like Sin City, Murphy was an acting powerhouse who shined in movies of every genre, from rom-coms to action to drama and more. Even more importantly, Murphy left a memorable mark on every person she worked with, both on and off-screen.
“Brittany was a good person, a super-nice girl,” rapper and actor Eminem, who costarred alongside Murphy in the hit movie 8 Mile, said in 2012 during a cast reunion. “She was very down to earth; she’d talk to anybody.”
In honor of her legacy, here’s a look at 10 of her most memorable movie roles:
‘Clueless’
Arguably Murphy’s career breakout role, there is no complete list of Brittany Murphy movies without 1995’s Clueless. Murphy played the iconic Tai, who, in trying to fit in at a new school alongside the wealthy and privileged Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) and Dionne Davenport (Stacey Dash), ends up becoming a mean girl monster of the popular girls’ making.
What can Us say — it’s a fun-loving, coming of age film that showcases Murphy’s effervescent personality. (The film also features a young Paul Rudd, who still has us swooning to this day.)
‘Uptown Girls’
This 2003 film highlights Murphy’s ability to create palpable onscreen chemistry with her costars. The late actress plays Molly Gunn, a naive “it girl” living off the fortune she inherited from her famous dad. When she realizes her manager has stolen all her money and vanished, she is forced to become a nanny for Ray, played by a young Dakota Fanning.
Not only do Fanning and Murphy shine together, their chemistry helps carry viewers through the funny and also serious moments of the film, including the impact of Ray’s absent mother and Molly’s refusal to grow up.
‘Just Married’
Another fun-loving rom-com that showcased Murphy’s comedic timing and lovable personality. Murphy plays Sarah, an affluent aspiring writer who meets and falls in love with beer-lovingTom (Ashton Kutcher). After a whirlwind romance and wedding, the pair fly to Italy for what should be a perfect honeymoon.
Of course, hilarity ensues as everything — and we mean everything — goes wrong, forcing the young couple to face some harsh truths and lingering insecurities about their relationship.
‘8 Mile’
Eminem met his match in Murphy, who starred alongside the rapper in his debut film. If we’ve said it once we’ve said it a thousand times — chemistry, chemistry, chemistry. The sparks were flying between Murphy and Eminem, who played complicated lovers in the film as B-Rabbit (Eminem) attempts to pull him and his family out of poverty via a budding rap career. Murphy’s character is elusive, complicated and enticing, causing fans to fall in love with her all over again in this nitty gritty musical drama that solidified Eminem as not just a rapper, but a bonafide entertainment artist.
‘Girl, Interrupted’
For the dark and twisty girls among us, there is no film that quite captured our hearts like the 1999’s Girl, Interrupted. Starring a plethora of Hollywood icons like Whoopie Goldberg, Elizabeth Moss, Jared Leto, Clea DuVall, Winona Ryder, Jeffrey Tambor and Angelina Jolie, Murphy truly showed off her acting chops when playing the roll of Daisy Randone — a sexually abused 18-year-old girl who suffers from OCD, disordered eating, a laxative addiction and self-harm.
The high-intensity scenes between Murphy and Jolie are iconic in their own right; Murphy’s character grows increasingly troubled as the movie goes on, despite her release from a mental institution where all the other girls are receiving inpatient care. The performance earned Murphy a Young Artist Award nomination for Leading Young Actress in 2000.
‘Little Black Book’
This 2004 rom-com once again highlighted Murphy’s comedic acting chops. The actress plays Stacy, who lets curiosity get the better of her when she snoops through her boyfriend Derek’s (Ron Livingston) little black book filled with the names of his exes. Stacy then sets out to meet the women, which – of course – causes a slew of problems of her own making.
‘Sin City’
Frank Miller’s 2005 movie featuring a star-studded ensemble cast gave viewers an innovative, comic book-like take on film, and despite being surrounded by Hollywood heavy-hitters like Benicio del Toro and Clive Owen, Murphy’s performance was memorable in its simplicity.
The actress played former sex worker Shellie, who, with the help of her new boyfriend (Owen), escapes the violent grip of her abusive ex who also happens to be a cop (del Toro). Murphy’s soft yet tough portrayal scored her recognition via the 2006 Critics’ Choice Award for Best Acting Ensemble.
‘Riding in Cars With Boys’
This 2001 drama featuring Drew Barrymore, Steve Zahn, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and more was another coming of age story that featured Murphy at her finest. Following the true story of writer and teenage mom Beverly Donofrio (Barrymore), Murphy played Fay Forrester, Beverly’s best friend who announces at her BFF’s wedding that she is pregnant, too.
As the pair attempt to navigate teenage pregnancy and early motherhood – after being shunned by their families — Beverly and Fay create a strong bond, holding each other up through every trial and tribulation. As the straight-talking, witty best friend, Murphy perfectly compliments Barrymore in what was arguably one of her best on screen performances.
‘Drop Dead Gorgeous’
While this mockumentary-style dark comedy didn’t do well at the box office, it is considered a cult classic, and it’s easy to see why. The film follows an annual beauty pageant held in small town Minnesota, where Murphy’s character, Lisa Swenson, competes alongside her fellow, wannabe beauty queens Amber Atkins (Kirsten Dunst) and Becky Leeman (Denise Richards).
‘Don’t Say a Word’
The late actress portrays Elizabeth Burrows in the 2001 drama, a young woman and patient at a psychiatric hospital who hasn’t spoken a word since she witnessed her father’s brutal death. The problem? She’s the only person who knows the whereabouts of a gem worth millions of dollars — a gem her father was ultimately killed over.
Murphy again harnesses the nuance of mental health issues, and her portrayal earned her a 2002 Golden Satellite Award Nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Drama.
Honorable Mention: ‘Boy Meets World’
Who can forget Trini in the iconic coming of age TV classic, Boy Meets World? Not Us! Murphy’s role as Topanga Lawrence’s (Danielle Fishel) best friend is memorable for all the best reasons — even if it only lasted three episodes. She bucked gendered expectations of how a teenage girl “should” act, never gave two you-know-whats about what people thought and did it all while showcasing a fierce — and rare — female friendship on the show. You little badger!
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