Brittany Murphy suffered for months before her tragic death at 32, her final movie co-stars reveal
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Beloved actress Brittany Murphy — who lit up screens in classics like 'Clueless' and 'Girl, Interrupted' — tragically died at the age of 32 on December 20, 2009.
This was about six months after wrapping her final movie 'Something Wicked'. Her co-stars from the film are now opening up about her struggles during those final days.
Katie O’Grady, who worked alongside Murphy on the supernatural thriller filmed in Eugene, Oregon, described seeing a fragile side of the actress. "She was just a little bird that you wanted to be around and you wanted to help," O’Grady shared with People.
The 'Portlandia' actress recalled how Murphy — standing just 5’3” and appearing "frail" — seemed to be going through an intensely difficult period.
“She was going through a hard time,” O’Grady said, adding that the cast and crew felt a sense of tenderness toward Murphy. “You could just feel like you needed to be soft around her.”
'Something Wicked' makeup artist Trista Jordan also said in the 2021 documentary 'What Happened, Brittany Murphy?', "Her eyes were so sunken, and she just seemed so sad. She wasn't herself. She was in so much pain. She had Bambi's legs and couldn't stand up."
Co-stars talk about Brittany Murphy's soft spirit
Brittany Murphy’s petite frame and delicate demeanor left a lasting impression on her colleagues. O’Grady remembered thinking she was so light that she could easily be "scooped up." Murphy had notably lost a lot of weight before filming 'Something Wicked', though she had previously denied rumors of an eating disorder.
Still, her physical challenges didn’t hinder her thoughtfulness. O’Grady recounted a particularly grueling day filming inside a sweltering jail cell. While everyone was drenched in sweat, Murphy made sure there was enough water for the entire crew.
Another time, she patiently guided a less experienced co-star, explaining the intricacies of eye lines and camera angles.
"You could just feel a really deep kindness, a soft spirit about Brittany, that it made you just feel comfortable and soft," the 'Half Sisters' actress said.
Another co-star, October Moore, shared a sweet memory from a scene she filmed with Murphy. As they prepared for a confrontation, Moore was fidgeting nervously with her slip-on shoes under the table. Murphy noticed and gently suggested she "take them off.”
“That was such a kindness from a seasoned professional to a very new actor,” Moore recalled. “She made me feel very comfortable and at ease and just had this kind of effervescent sweetness.”
When production wrapped, Murphy gave O’Grady a warm goodbye. She shook her hand and said, “I’m so glad I got to meet you.”
O’Grady described the moment as deeply touching. "There was still some part of her so present and so loving to take the time to do that in such a soft way. It was such a kind and loving goodbye. She made moments and she created moments with everybody that she met to the best of her ability that she could with the energy that she had," she said.
Brittany Murphy needed more protection
O’Grady couldn’t help but feel the actress needed more support in her life. She believed Murphy could have benefited from having someone stronger to lean on during the production.
"I just feel that she could have used somebody in her life that maybe was strong," O’Grady shared. Murphy’s husband Simon Monjack was often on set, but O’Grady didn’t feel he provided the kind of strength or protection Murphy truly needed.
“We know when we meet somebody that’s not well, and an instant feeling of, ‘This woman needs to be protected, this woman needs strength, energy, support,’” O’Grady explained.
Murphy’s death was ruled as pneumonia, compounded by severe anemia. Just five months later, Monjack tragically died from the same conditions at age 40, reported Daily Mail.
'Something Wicked' eventually premiered in 2014, but O’Grady admitted she hasn’t yet brought herself to watch it. She feels she might finally be ready now, as a way of honoring her late friend.
“She really deserved a different story. Her core is so good. Her spirit is so good,” O’Grady reflected. “That was not a person who was out in the world to hurt or make people feel small. That was not a woman who deserved that story. But that was her story, and that was why she was here, and that was all that was meant to be,” she added.
