Brittany Murphy Biography

NAME: Brittany Murphy

OCCUPATION: Film Actress

BIRTH DATE: November 10, 1977

DEATH DATE: December 20, 2009

EDUCATION: Verne Fowler's School of Dance and Theater, John Burroughs High School

Actress. Born November 10, 1977, in Atlanta, Georgia, to parents Sharon Murphy and Angelo Bertolotti. Murphy's father was heavily involved in organized crime, and spent most of his life in and out of prison. As a result, Murphy's parents split when she was only two years old.

In 1991, at the age of 13, Brittany and her mother moved to Burbank, California, where she landed her first television role on the show "Blossom" (1990). This lead to a starring role on "Drexell's Class" (1991), a series that proved to be short lived. Brittany's major breakthrough film appearance was in Clueless (1995), the Emma meets "Beverly Hills, 90210" (1990) comedy, in which she starred opposite of Alicia Silverstone. She went on to demonstrate her versatility and talent for not only comedy but drama; Brittany was nominated for best leading female performance in the Young Artist Awards for her role in the television film David and Lisa (1998) (TV).

Cast opposite Eminem in director Curtis Hanson's 2002 /drama 8 Mile, Murphy performed compellingly as an aspiring rap star's unapologetic muse; in 2004, Murphy headlined Nick Hurran's thoroughly disappointing rom-com Little Black Book. She also made a splash in Robert Rodriguez's innovative graphic novel adaptation Sin City, as the arrogant waitress who becomes the prize in a heated rivalry between Benicio del Toro and Clive Owen.

Edward Burns recruited Murphy again for his little-seen buddy comedy “The Groomsmen” in 2006, and the actress averted her own trip to the alter that year when she called off her engagement to film crewman Joe Macaluso. However she rebounded with the biggest box office success of her career then to date, “Happy Feet” (2007), lending her distinctive voice to the popular penguin tale that won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

In 2009, Murphy starred in “The Ramen Girl” (2009), a direct-to-video feature about an American girl who moves to Tokyo and after enduring heartbreak, dedicates herself to learning the Japanese art of cooking ramen.

In the months leading up her death, Murphy had reportedly been fired from the horror film “The Caller” (2010), while the production crew of a second horror film, “Something Wicked” (2010), suspected drug use after observing the actress dazed and unprofessional. Others were concerned over the actress’ recent and severe loss of weight. In February 2010, the Los Angeles County Coroner's office released cause of death.