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While doing some factual research for the Decade List (character names and what-not), I saw the horrific headline at the top of the screen: Brittany Murphy Dies at 32. From my pre-teen years watching
Clueless more times than I would prefer to admit, Murphy has always had a special place in my heart (made even more solid by her all-too-brief role as Reese Witherspoon's lesbian bunkmate Rhonda in
Freeway). Though her career was fairly patchy afterward, especially the big Hollywood vehicles like
Just Married and
Uptown Girls, she gave a truly memorable and heartbreaking performance in 2006's
The Dead Girl, which now feels even more haunting than it once did. In addition to acting, she sang on a Paul Oakenfold track, "
Faster Kill Pussycat," one of my not-so-guilty pleasures. I may have to put off rewatching
Gerry to remember some of Murphy's finer offerings (those being the aforementioned
Clueless and
Freeway, as well as
Drop Dead Gorgeous... I didn't think I'd ever feel sad watching any of those three). I wonder if the proposed
Clueless sequel/reunion will still happen. Terrible news.