BY Advocate.com Editors
December 20 2009 7:20 PM ET
Brittany Murphy, who rose to fame as Alicia Silverstone’s pet project in the cult classic Clueless, died Sunday morning after she went into cardiac arrest at a Los Angeles home belonging to her husband. She was 32.
Murphy played a lesbian service member in the critically acclaimed HBO movie Common Ground, directed by Desert Hearts' Donna Deitch. Deitch later directed Murphy again in the TV movie The Devil's Arithmetic. Murphy's star began to rise on the big screen when she starred opposite Angelina Jolie to critical acclaim in Girl, Interrupted, which she followed up with the hits Don't Say a Word, Sin City, and 8 Mile.
She played gay again in 2006 in the acclaimed indie drama The Dead Girl.
The actress had developed a reputation in recent years for being difficult and erratic. Reports surfaced in November that she had been fired from her latest film, The Caller.
Muprhy also made a name for herself among gay fans as the vocalist on DJ Paul Oakenfeld’s smash club hit Faster Kill Pussycat. She was reportedly working on her debut album this year.
Paramedics attempted to revive Murphy and rushed her to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead on arrival. The actress’ husband, Simon Monjack, allegedly told police he did not want an autopsy performed on Murphy, but an investigation into her death is expected.
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