Brittany Murphy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brittany Murphy
Murphy at the Sydney premiere of Happy Feet in 2006
Born	Brittany Anne Bertolotti (1977-11-10)November 10, 1977 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Died	December 20, 2009(2009-12-20) (aged 32) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of death	Pneumonia
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills, California
Education	John Burroughs High School, Verne Fowler's School of Dance and Theater
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	1991–2009
Spouse(s)	Simon Monjack ​ (m. 2007)​

Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack (born Bertolotti; November 10, 1977 – December 20, 2009) was an American actress and singer. She was well-known for her roles in popular movies like Clueless (1995), 8 Mile (2002), and Girl, Interrupted (1999).

Brittany was born in Atlanta, Georgia. When she was a teenager, she moved to Los Angeles to start her acting career. Her big break came with the movie Clueless in 1995. She also appeared in other films like Freeway (1996) and Bongwater (1998). In 1997, she performed on Broadway in a play called A View from the Bridge.

In the 2000s, Brittany starred in movies such as Don't Say a Word (2001) with Michael Douglas, and 8 Mile (2002) with Eminem. She also appeared in Just Married (2003), Uptown Girls (2003), Sin City (2005), and lent her voice to the animated film Happy Feet (2006). Brittany was also the voice of Luanne Platter in the cartoon series King of the Hill from 1997 to 2010. Her last movie, Something Wicked, was released in 2014 after she passed away.

Brittany Murphy died on December 20, 2009, when she was 32 years old. The coroner's report stated that she died from pneumonia, made worse by anemia.

Early Life and Family

Brittany Anne Bertolotti was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Her parents were Sharon Kathleen Murphy and Angelo Joseph Bertolotti. They divorced when Brittany was two years old. Brittany was raised by her mother in Edison, New Jersey.

In 1991, when Brittany was thirteen, her family moved to Los Angeles. This move allowed Brittany to follow her dream of becoming an actress. Brittany often said that her mother was a huge support in her career. She mentioned, "When I asked my mom to move to California, she sold everything and moved out here for me. She always believed in me."

Brittany's mother had Irish and Slovakian roots, and her father was of Italian background. Brittany was raised as a Baptist and later became a non-denominational Christian. She had two older half-brothers and a younger half-sister.

Acting Career

Starting Out: 1991-1999

Brittany Murphy started training in singing, dancing, and acting at the Verne Fowler School of Dance and Theatre Arts in Colonia, New Jersey, when she was just four years old. She continued her training until she moved to California at age thirteen.

Her first acting job in Hollywood was at thirteen, playing Brenda Drexell in the TV series Drexell's Class. She also appeared as Molly Morgan in the show Almost Home. Brittany was a guest star on many other TV series, including Blossom, Frasier, and Party of Five.

Brittany's breakthrough role was in the teen comedy Clueless (1995). This movie became very popular. After Clueless, she acted in Freeway (1996) with Reese Witherspoon. In 1999, she had a supporting role in Girl, Interrupted and played an aspiring beauty queen in Drop Dead Gorgeous. She also voiced the character Luanne Platter on the animated show King of the Hill from 1997 to 2009.

Murphy at the Australian premiere of Happy Feet in 2006.

Success and Later Roles: 2000-2009

In the 2000s, Brittany took on leading roles in several films. These included Don't Say a Word (2001) and 8 Mile (2002), where her acting was highly praised. She also starred in Uptown Girls (2003), Just Married (2003), and the critically acclaimed Sin City (2005).

Brittany also appeared in independent films like Spun (2002) and The Dead Girl (2006). She returned to voice acting in the popular animated movie Happy Feet (2006), where she voiced Gloria Penguin. Her final film, Something Wicked, was released in 2014 after her passing.

Music Career

Murphy performing for the crew during a USO show aboard USS Nimitz on June 19, 2003

Besides acting, Brittany Murphy was also a singer. She once said that her singing voice was very different from her speaking voice. She liked to keep her singing a bit of a secret, learning how to work in a recording studio.

In the early 1990s, she was in a band called Blessed Soul with actor Eric Balfour. In 2006, Brittany and DJ Paul Oakenfold released a song called "Faster Kill Pussycat". This song became a big hit in clubs and reached number one on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart. It also reached number seven in the United Kingdom.

Brittany also sang in the movie Happy Feet. She performed covers of "Somebody to Love" by Queen and "Boogie Wonderland" by Earth, Wind & Fire. She mentioned that her character, Gloria the penguin, was the most like her out of all the characters she had played.

Personal Life

Relationships

In late 2002, Brittany Murphy started dating Ashton Kutcher, her co-star from the movie Just Married. Later, in December 2005, she got engaged to Joe Macaluso, a production assistant she met while working on the film Little Black Book. However, they ended their engagement in August 2006. In May 2007, Brittany married British screenwriter Simon Monjack in a private ceremony in Los Angeles.

Death

On December 20, 2009, emergency services were called to Brittany Murphy's home in Los Angeles. She had collapsed in a bathroom. She was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she sadly passed away at 10:04 a.m.

Autopsy and Burial

An autopsy was done the day after she died. The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office released a report in February 2010. It stated that the cause of her death was pneumonia, made worse by anemia.

Grave of Brittany Murphy at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills

Brittany Murphy was buried on December 24, 2009, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills.

Simon Monjack's Death

On May 23, 2010, Brittany's husband, Simon Monjack, was also found dead at the same home. The coroner's report said his death was due to acute pneumonia and severe anaemia.

Brittany Murphy Foundation

In January 2010, Brittany's mother, Sharon, and her husband, Simon Monjack, started the Brittany Murphy Foundation. This was a charity created to support arts education for children, as well as the USO and cancer research.

The foundation was officially launched on February 4, 2010. However, it later faced issues with its official non-profit status and had to refund donations. It was relaunched by her father, Angelo Bertolotti, on November 10, 2013. As of 2018, the Brittany Murphy Foundation appears to no longer be active.

After Her Death

After Brittany Murphy's death, many people shared their memories of her. Dakota Fanning, who co-starred with Brittany in Uptown Girls, said she was grateful for the time they spent together. The song "Faster Kill Pussycat", which Brittany sang with British DJ Paul Oakenfold, re-entered the music charts.

In October 2021, HBO Max released a documentary called What Happened, Brittany Murphy?. It explored the events around her death. In the documentary, her 8 Mile co-star Taryn Manning remembered Brittany as "free-spirited, whimsical and full of laughter."

Filmography

Feature Films

Television

Video Games

Music Videos

Stage Work

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Brittany Murphy para niños