15 years to the day after Brittany Murphy tragically died at just 32 years old, co-stars on her final film, Something Wicked, are speaking out about her final days.
If you don’t know, the actress died on December 20, 2009, after she was found passed out in the bathroom of her home, which she shared with her husband Simon Monjack, and her mom Sharon. Her cause of death was pneumonia. Just months later, her husband died of similar causes.
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Six months before her tragic death, the Uptown Girls alum was busy on set of what would be her final film. Per People on Friday, she was always going out of her way to look out for everyone else — despite the fact she was clearly struggling with her health at the time. For instance, on one hot June day while they were working in a jail cell, Brittany made sure everyone else was okay in the heat and that they had enough water — a sign of how “good” she was.
Speaking to the outlet on Friday, actress Katie O’Grady reflected:
“She was just a little bird that you wanted to be around and you wanted to help.”
Despite filming the movie months before she passed, Katie and other co-stars could tell how much Brittany was struggling. Katie recalled Brittany being “frail” and “going through a hard time,” so much so that the cast and crew got the sense “to be soft around her.” She was also “petite” and could be “scooped up” with little effort. Katie also noticed she had very little energy — and what she did have, she put into the film. She continued:
“You could just feel a really deep kindness, a soft spirit about Brittany, that it made you just feel comfortable and soft.”
Even though she was super famous, Brittany never acted like such. Katie recalled Brittany taking the time to teach a younger co-star, who was struggling with where to look during a close-up, about eye lines and where to look depending on where the camera was. So sweet!
Something similar also happened with October Moore, who remembered feeling nervous while prepping for a confrontational scene with Brittany. October couldn’t stop fidgeting with her slip-on shoes, and when she nervously locked eyes with her co-star, Brittany said playfully:
“Just take them off.”
October expressed:
“That was such a kindness from a seasoned professional to a very new actor. She made me feel very comfortable and at ease and just had this kind of effervescent sweetness.”
Aw! She stayed this sweet even at the wrap party where she was using her last bits of energy. Katie said she’ll never forget her “presence” as she put her “little hand” in hers at the event, telling her:
“I’m so glad I got to meet you.”
So kind!
Reflecting on this, the Undeserved star continued:
“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.”
In her final years, the Clueless star lost a ton of weight and faced rumors she had an eating disorder, which she denied. But it was clear she had super low physical energy and mental strength, which always worried Katie. She said:
“I just feel that she could have used somebody in her life that maybe was strong.”
While Brittany was supposedly really close to her mother, neither Katie nor October remember seeing her on set. That said, Simon was constantly around and very “protective” of his wife, Katie stated. That said, she didn’t get the sense that Simon’s presence was a positive thing:
“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.”
Just six months later, Brittany passed away. Obviously, this was a heartbreaking end to the relatively young artist’s life, and Katie was left wishing Brittany had a “different story.” Just like so many, she also had so many questions about what led to her death “because it’s 100 little stops along the way to get there.” Oof.
Her final film was postponed and not released until 2014 when the cast gathered for a tough premiere. The star recalled there being a “sense of sadness” among the cast, and Katie chose not to watch the film. Now, the actress is ready to watch the movie to pay her final respects. Katie concluded:
“She really deserved a different story. Her core is so good. Her spirit is so good. 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.”
So sad.
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