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Brittany Anne Murphy (née Bertolotti; born November 10, 1977) is an American actress and recording artist. She has starred in Hollywood films such as Just Married; Clueless; Girl, Interrupted; 8 Mile; Sin City; The Dead Girl; and Happy Feet, among other films. A petite attractive performer with large expressive eyes, energetic and versatile actress Brittany Murphy shot to stardom as Tai, the fashion-challenged brunette transfer student whom Alicia Silverstone's Cher takes under her wing, in the hit comedy "Clueless" (1995). The New Jersey native was already an established veteran, though, having begun her performing career at age two. Murphy was singing and dancing as the lead in a regional production of "Really Rosie" at age nine and had relocated to L.A. by age 13. After making her primetime TV debut as the sister of Joe Regalbuto's Frank Fontana on a 1991 episode of CBS' "Murphy Brown", the rising talent landed the role of Dabney Coleman's daughter on the short-lived Fox sitcom "Drexel's Class" (1991-92). She quickly rebounded as Perry King's daughter who is jealous of her new stepsister in the spin-off sitcom "Almost Home" (ABC, 1993), although the show only lasted 13 episodes. Murphy lent her persona to the recurring role of Sarah, a friend and classmate of twins Tia and Tamara, on "Sister, Sister" during its 1994-1995 run on ABC. Murphy was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the daughter of Sharon Murphy, who is of Irish and Eastern European descent, and Angelo Bertolotti, an Italian American. Murphy's parents divorced shortly after her birth, and she was raised in Edison, New Jersey and Burbank, California by her single, working-class mother; she has had little contact with her father, who later served time for racketeering, since the divorce. Murphy was raised a Baptist and attended a Lutheran school, but is now a non-denominational practicing Christian. When she was nine years old, Murphy landed a singing role in a musical version of Les Misérables, and had signed on with a manager by the time she turned thirteen. Her mother, Sharon was diagnosed as having breast cancer, when Brittany was 15. She survived after having a double mastectomy. "Clueless" propelled the actress into a different realm. As the dumpy Easterner Tai, Murphy proved her comic mettle and began to get roles in independent films, many of which debuted on premium cable channels like HBO (i.e., "Freeway" 1996, "Phoenix" 1998). Returning to NYC, she won her fair share of critical praise as the niece of a dockworker (Anthony LaPaglia) who has more than avuncular interests in her in the acclaimed, award-winning 1997 Broadway revival of Arthur Miller's "A View From the Bridge". Murphy's profile rose higher when she was tapped to co-star opposite Lukas Haas in the small remake of "David and Lisa" (ABC, 1998), produced under the "Oprah Winfrey Presents" banner. She then co-starred as one of the pageant aspirants in the mock documentary "Drop Dead Gorgeous" (1999). Murphy landed her first job in Hollywood when she was fourteen, starring as Brenda Drexell in the television series Drexell's Class. She then went on to play Molly Morgan in the short lived The Torkelsons spinoff Almost Home. She also had a small role in Season 3 of Boy Meets World as Topanga's best friend Trini. She was also the lead singer of the band Blessed With Soul in the early 1990s, and was at one time signed on to play late singer Janis Joplin in a biography, but the film was not made because of legal disputes over music rights. Murphy has since starred in many successful films, including Clueless (1995), Girl, Interrupted (1999), Don't Say a Word (2001), 8 Mile (2002) and Uptown Girls (2003) as well as many lesser known films, such as Spun (2003). She has also appeared on several television series, including Sister, Sister, Boy Meets World and as the voice of Luanne Platter (as well as the younger version of Joseph Gribble) on the long-running animated series King of the Hill. As a suicidal teen fixated on rotisserie chicken in "Girl, Interrupted", Murphy gave a highly memorable performance, which she followed up with skilled performances as vastly different characters, counting among her 2000 credits a turn as a discharged naval officer suspected of being a lesbian in the 1950s-set segment of Showtime drama "Common Ground", a performance as a charming barfly in the independent "Trixie" and a virginal girl targeted by a serial killer in the teen slasher pic "Cherry Falls". Her supporting role as the loveable town floozy in "Summer Catch" (2001) was one of the disappointing film's few high points, while she held her own in a challenging turn as a disturbed young woman who holds a valuable secret in her damaged mind in the thriller "Don't Say a Word" that same year. Her performance--and her memorable "I'll never tell" line featured in the film's ad campaign--finally seemed to make Murphy a recognizable star. She also excelled with a featured role as a waitress in the ensemble of the Edward Burns romantic comedy "Sidewalks of New York" paired Murphy with Stanley Tucci and David Krumholtz and perfectly complemented Drew Barrymore in the inspiring fact-based comedy-drama "Riding in Cars With Boys" (both 2001). Though her starring role in the proposed Gary Fleder-directed Janis Joplin biopic was shelved due to music rights difficulties, Murphy recovered with a role in the romantic comedy "You Stupid Man", directed by Brian Burns (brother of Edward), a featured turn as a amphetamine addict paired with Mickey Rourke in the black comedy "Spun" directed by famed Madonna video helmer Jonas Ackerlund and Curtis Hanson's "8 Mile" (2002), which starred and was loosely based upon the life of successful white rapper Eminem (all lensed 2001). She then started the new year off by starring, with then-boyfriend Ashton Kutcher, in the romantic comedy feature "Just Married," which failed to capitalize on the couple's loopy real-life chemistry in favor of shrieking histrionics, and played on-screen the drug addicted girlfriend to Mickey Rourke's character in the independent feature "Spun" (both in 2003). That same year Murphy--whose image slowly changed from wild child character actress to sophisticated starlet--also tackled her first full-blown leading lady capacity in the light comedy "Uptown Girls," starring as a rock star's hard-partying, suddenly cash-strapped daughter who is forced to grow up when she becomes the caretacker of a wealthy, willfull and ignored little girl (Dakota Fanning). Murphy continued to land headliner roles, cast as the lead in the lightweight romantic comedy "Little Black Book" (2004) as a talk show producer who delves into her commitment-phobe boyfriend's Palm Pilot and makes some disturbing discoveries about his romantic past; the actress added an admirable, highly watchable spark to the otherwise leaden affair. She most recently appeared in the films Little Black Book (2004), which was considered a critical and commercial failure, and the critically acclaimed Sin City (2005). Next Murphy appeared as Shellie, the strip club waitress with a soft spot for the wrong guys, in director Robert Rodriguez and writer-artist Frank Miller's visually arresting adaptation of Miller's crime noir comic book series "Sin City" (2005). Murphy's character helped tie the various story arcs together by appearing in multiple sequences, most notably in "The Big Fat Kill" where her character is terrorized by the corrupt Jackie Boy (Benicio del Toro) before being saved by the tough but noble Dwight (Clive Owen). Also in 2005, she appeared in the promo video for Tears for Fears' comeback single Closest Thing To Heaven, and in August, Brittany co-presented UK music show CD:UK alongside Holly Willoughby. Murphy is also filming five other films. She will star in The Ramen Girl. The Other Side, and The White Hotel. She is reprising her role as Shellie in Sin City 2. In the Spring of 2006, Paul Oakenfold along with Brittany Murphy released the single "Faster Kill Pussycat", with the album A Lively Mind which was released on June 6 in the United States. The song has become a club hit, and hit number one on Billboard magazine's Hot Dance Club Play chart. It also hit number seven in the UK singles chart in June 2006. She dabbled in music again with the release of her movie Happy Feet, in which she covered Queen's classic "Somebody to Love" and Earth, Wind & Fire's "Boogie Wonderland". Brittany is currently working on her debut album, which is inspired by synth-pop sound. The album will be released in 2008. She is working with various producers and DJs including with Paul Oakenfold, Chris Cox, Max Martin and Timbaland. Actor Jonathan Brandis was Murphy's high school prom date. She dated Ashton Kutcher; they met on the set of "Just Married". Once engaged to talent manager Jeff Kwatinetz, in December 2005, Murphy became engaged to Joe Macaluso, a production assistant she met while working on her film, Little Black Book. In August 2006, they ended their engagement. In May 2007, Murphy married screenwriter Simon Monjack in a private Jewish ceremony officiated by a rabbi. During 2005, Murphy was the spokesmodel for Jordache jeans. In 2006, Brittany Murphy was voted 36th in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women List, 29th in Celebrity Sleuth's 25 Sexiest List and in May of the same year, Maxim magazine named Murphy #49 on its annual Hot 100 List. |
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