LOS ANGELES — Brittany Murphy, the actress who got her big break in the sleeper hit “Clueless” and rose to stardom in “8 Mile,” died Sunday in Los Angeles. She was 32.
Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said Murphy collapsed in the bathroom at the home she shared with her husband, British screenwriter Simon Monjack, in the Hollywood Hills, and authorities were looking into her medical history. The cause of death “appears to be natural,” Winter said.
Messages left for Murphy’s manager, agent and publicist were not immediately returned.
Born Nov. 10, 1977, in Atlanta, Murphy grew up in New Jersey and later moved with her mother to Los Angeles to pursue acting.
Her career started in the early 1990s with small roles in television series, commercials and movies. She is best known for parts in “Girl, Interrupted,” “Clueless” and “8 Mile.”
Her on-screen roles declined in recent years, but Murphy’s voice gave life to numerous animated characters, including Luanne Platter on more than 200 episodes of Fox’s “King of the Hill” and Gloria the penguin in the 2006 feature “Happy Feet.”
She is due to appear in Sylvester Stallone’s upcoming film “The Expendables,” set for release next year.
