Brittany Murphy | 10 Outstanding Roles

The very first fashion spread that literally changed my life was a 2002 editorial in the New York Times Magazine by Jeff Riedel. I still own my copy. The subject was the often-imitated Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven — a true original and inspiration. She was a German-born Dadaist artist and poet who spent most of her life in poverty and high-style in New York’s Greenwich Village –  practically destined for queer-iconography. The woman chosen to recreate the unforgettable figure was Brittany Murphy.

2002 was a better year for Murphy. Her career was booming. She was sought-after, young, and advancing. The past year was harder. By November, her husband had been deported, then later rushed to a hospital. Murphy was also rumored to’ve been fired from two major gigs, and bloggers were ablaze with insults and judgments.  Today, the same tabloid sites which chronicled Murphy’s weight, romantic life and fashion choices like a Christie’s auctioneer will feign heartbreak or even shock. We choose to remember Murphy in her best light, on screen. We can only guess at the reasons for her untimely death, but what we can focus on — what we can truly grasp without speculation — is the beautiful, funny, thoughtful work this underrated actor leaves behind. There’s a line in “Sin City” — arguably, Murphy’s last hit film — where Shellie says to Jack Rafferty, “I, am impossible to get.” What else can we say? Murphy’s work speaks for itself.

1. Clueless (1995) …. Tai

2. Girl, Interrupted (1999) …. Daisy Randone

3. Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) …. Lisa Swenson

4. Freeway (1996) …. Rhonda

5. 8 Mile (2002) …. Alex

6. Sin City (2005) …. Shellie

7. Just Married (2003) …. Sarah

8. Riding in Cars with Boys (2001) …. Fay Forrester

9. Little Black Book (2004) …. Stacy

10. The Dead Girl (2006) …. Krista

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