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In Common Ground she played a lesbian who joins the 1950s US Navy
Brittany Murphy
Clueless star Brittany Murphy dead at 32
Brittany Murphy, the actor who rose to fame in the cult classic Clueless and later became known for playing disturbed young women and a number of gay roles, has died of a heart attack aged 32.
Entertainment website TMZ reported that an emergency call was made at 8am on Sunday from the Los Angeles home of her husband, British screenwriter Simon Monjack. Her mother had found her unconscious in the shower, and when paramedics arrived she was in full cardiac arrest. She was pronounced dead on arrival at Cedars-Sinai medical centre.
An actor from childhood, Murphy's breakthrough aged 18 came with Clueless, a modern rendition of Jane Austen's Emma, in which she starred alongside Alicia Silverstone. Other major roles followed in Don't Say a Word, Uptown Girls, Sin City, 8 Mile and Girl, Interrupted.
In 2000's Common Ground she played a lesbian who joins the 1950s US Navy, and another gay role followed in 2007's acclaimed indie drama The Deal Girl.
Murphy's career success was overshadowed by periodic reports of health problems and rumours that she was difficult to work with. In 2005 she denied to Jane magazine that her recent weight loss was due to a cocaine habit.
"Wow. No, just for the record I have never tried it in my entire life, I've never even seen it...My worst vice is caffeine. Can you imagine? My God. I think my heart would explode," she said.
In November, Murphy abruptly left the production of her latest film The Caller, with her agent citing "creative differences", but it was rumoured that she had been dropped because she was difficult to work with on set in Puerto Rico. Monjack, who was alleged to have fought with local people, had been rushed to hospital a few days earlier having been taken ill on a plane.
Today, TMZ reported that no illegal drugs were found in Monjack's house, but various prescription medications were. "There were a lot...a lot of prescriptions in the house," one source said.
