Alicia Silverstone and Clueless cast pay tribute to Brittany Murphy
Can you believe that it’s been almost 30 years since Clueless first hit the big screen? Well, the cast of the hit movie reunited this week (19 March) at 90s Con where they shared what it was like working with the late Brittany Murphy.
Brittany sadly died in 2009 at the age of 32. It was ruled that a combination of pneumonia, anaemia and drug intoxication from both prescription and over-the-counter medications was the cause of her death. But the impact that she had on those that she worked with and inspired has never dimmed.
Speaking at the panel, stars Alicia Silverstone, Stacey Dash, Breckin Meyer and Elisa Donovan opened up about their experiences on the set of the classic comedy.
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Meyer, who you may remember as skater Travis Birkenstock in the movie, ultimately gets together with Murphy’s character – Tai Frasier – by the end.
He looked back on his audition with Murphy all those years ago.
"Brittany and I played boyfriend and girlfriend in a couple things," he revealed.
"So when I auditioned it was nice because, any time you audition with someone you know, you're just like, 'One box I could check.' So that was pretty cool.
"I skateboarded to the audition — not for fun, but because I was broke. It's a really far [trip] skateboarding from North Hollywood to Hollywood, where the studio is, so I came in all sweaty, greasy, gross."
He remembered how great of an actress she was, by adding that, even though he didn’t know if he was going to get the part, 'if you don't make the movie with her, don't make the movie'.
He often thinks about 'what she'd be doing now because of how talented she was'.
Meyer explained: "Brittany could sing like nobody's business, and I look at things like [how] they're doing the movie Wicked now.
"I hear about that and think Brittany would be killing this stuff right now... We don't get to see the incredible work she is going to do."
Alicia Silverstone - who played the iconic Cher Horowitz – also reflected on the audition process.
Speaking to Vogue, Silverstone remembered thinking 'she was so great for the part'.
She followed this up with saying: “I can't remember how many girls came in to audition for Tai that day and I don't know if I saw a few girls for it or just her, but I remember Brittany being really adorable."
Silverstone continued: "I found her so wonderful and I said to [writer-director Amy Heckerling] right away, 'I think she's the one! She was the best one, you guys!', hoping they would agree.
"She was like, 'Uh, yeah, duh. Of course she was the best; she's the one.'"
Speaking to PEOPLE in 2021, Elisa Donovan – who played Amber Mariens – remembered Murphy as 'a really sweet friend', with the loss being 'very sad'.
She added: "I always think of her like a hummingbird. She just was an incredibly talented girl with a great spirit."
Paul Rudd and Donald Faison, along with Silverstone and Meyer, also remembered Murphy back at the Clueless reunion at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo in 2019.
Silverstone recalled one the fan’s favourite lines from the movie: "She was so good. I love when she says, 'You're a virgin who can't drive.' It's just one of my favourite moments of the whole movie.”
"She was a sweet person too. She was just always so smiley and sweet," Rudd added.
It’s safe to say that Brittany Murphy is sorely missed. We think this is the perfect excuse to rewatch Clueless again.
Topics: TV And Film, Celebrity
Ellis Cochrane