Brittany Murphy Had Both Beauty and Talent

CLEVELAND - I'm no different than most everyone else when they learned of Brittany Murphy's sudden death yesterday at the far-too-young age of 32. I'm saddened, shocked and finally reflective. That young woman brought a whole lot of wonderful to the table.

And she will be missed dearly.

Murphy, a Hollywood actress for nearly two decades was far from being A-list. But in spite of that, she played several memorable roles in film and even some unsung ones on television. I wasn't exactly a fan of hers in the purest sense, but I was aware of her work and I admired and respected it. In the 1995 film Clueless, it was nearly impossible for me to take my eyes off the alluring Alicia Silverstone, yet Murphy was certainly memorable in her "frumpy rawness." Her mystery and humility was even more noticeable when juxtaposed with Silverstone's brazen superficiality in that flick. Seven years later, she apparently shed her dowdy appearance and had blossomed into a real beauty, next getting my (this time) undivided attention in the film 8 Mile. Her scenes with Marshall Mathers were enticing as she masterfully portrayed young vixen Alex with a luscious flair. 

Who could forget their sex scene?

Murphy did other, less-known films over the years and should be applauded for her work in those too. All I know is, for me to not be a big fan of hers...she certainly was on my mental radar when I got the tragic news. That's because she was anything but obscure; just ask the folks in Hollywood and they'll say the same thing I would.

Brittany Murphy left an awesome impression.