Brittany Murphy

Clueless is a loose adaptation of the novel Emma (1815) by Jane Austen, and many of its characters have counterparts in the novel.

Soon after, her mother Sharon was diagnosed with breast cancer, whom she was forced to take care of after the release of Clueless.

Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack (November 10, 1977 – December 20, 2009) was an American actress and singer, known for her equal proficiency in comedy and drama.

Born in Atlanta, Murphy moved to Los Angeles as a teenager to pursue a career in acting.

In 1982, she attended the Verne Fowler School of Dance and Theater Arts in Colonia, New Jersey.

From the age of four, she trained in singing, dancing and acting until she moved to California at thirteen.

In 1987, at the age of ten, she made her theatrical debut called Really Rosie, whose performance was praised by her teachers; and she also sang in a production of Les Misérables.

She stood out for being energetic when acting.

She went so far as to say that "my first memories were wanting... to entertain people."

In 1991, before she started high school, the family moved to Los Angeles so that Murphy could pursue an acting career.

Murphy said her mother never tried to stifle her creativity, and she considered her mother a crucial factor in her later success: "When I asked my mom to move to California, she sold everything and moved out here for me. She always believed in me."

Murphy's mother is of Irish and Slovakian descent, and her father is of Italian.

She was raised a Baptist and later became a non-denominational Christian.

She had two older half-brothers and a younger half-sister.

She debuted in 1991 playing the role of Frank's sister on the television show Murphy Brown, however, she appeared in only one episode.

She later got her first job in Hollywood at the age of thirteen, playing the role of Brenda Drexell in the series Drexell's Class.

She then went on to play Molly Morgan in the TV series Almost Home.

She appeared as a guest star on several television series, including Parker Lewis Can't Lose, Blossom, seaQuest 2032, Murder One and Frasier.

She had recurring roles on Party of Five, Boy Meets World and Sister, Sister.

Filming began in November 1994, at which time she was barely seventeen years old, making her the youngest member of the cast.

Her performance in the film was praised by both the media and critics: John Menter, an acting teacher during Murphy's childhood, said: "It wasn't until I saw her, sitting in the theater, who I felt she would be a huge star."

During filming, as she could not attend high school, she had educational tutors.

The film was a sleeper hit, grossing US$56 million against its budget of US$12 million.

Her breakthrough came when she co-starred as Tai Frasier in Clueless (1995), followed by independent films such as Freeway (1996), and her 1997 Broadway debut in a production of Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge.

Her breakthrough role was in her second feature film, the teen comedy Clueless (1995), directed by Amy Heckerling, which developed a cult following.

She continued with roles in Freeway (1996), with Reese Witherspoon and Kiefer Sutherland, and the independent comedy Bongwater (1998).

She also voiced Luanne Platter on Fox's King of the Hill for the entirety of its run (1997–2010).

She made her Broadway debut in 1997 playing the role of Catherine, in a new version of Arthur Miller's A View from the Bridge along with actors Anthony LaPaglia and Allison Janney.

She finished the decade with supporting roles in Girl, Interrupted and Drop Dead Gorgeous (both 1999).

In 1999, she appeared as Rivkah in the television film The Devil's Arithmetic, based on the novel of the same name by Jane Yolen and directed by Donna Deitch; filming took place in Lithuania and Canada in October 1998.

Murphy gained critical recognition for her roles in numerous high-profile film projects during the early 2000s, such as Don't Say a Word (2001), Riding in Cars with Boys (2001), and 8 Mile (2002).

Other notable credits included Cherry Falls (2000), Spun (2002), Just Married, Uptown Girls (both 2003), Little Black Book (2004), Sin City (2005), and Happy Feet (2006).

This would later explain Murphy's marked social investment in homeless causes, as discussed in a February 2003 Glamour article.

On December 20, 2009, Murphy died at age 32 under disputed circumstances.

The coroner's verdict was pneumonia, exacerbated by anemia.

Brittany Anne Bertolotti was born at Georgia Baptist Hospital in Atlanta, to Sharon Kathleen Murphy and Angelo Joseph Bertolotti, who divorced when she was three years old.

Murphy was raised by her mother in Edison, New Jersey.

Angelo during this period was arrested on charges of drug possession, spending twelve years in prison; and he had dealings with the Italian mafia, where he operated as an entrepreneur and diplomat for organized crime families.

She later stated that due to Sharon's financial problems, she was forced her to eat spaghetti every night.

She also said that, on certain occasions, she had to beg her mother to buy clothes at Kmart.