Another One Bites the Dust

That probably wasn't the kindest title but I wanted something a little less morbid. Plenty of stars have died, plenty that I knew from movies, television shows, etc but none have been as close to my heart as Brittany Murphy. I have very few actors and actresses that I've like for an extended period of time. As a matter of fact, there wasn't a single one that I had loved and admired longer than Brittany. I first discovered her when she starred as Molly Morgan on the Torklesons (later called Almost Home). There's a good chance you don't remember that show but suffice to say I do and I never missed an episode. After that show, I watched her in Clueless, which still to this day is my favorite movie - because of her.

She's on the far right.

Since Brittany held a special place in my heart, imagine my surprise when we saw her with her family at Universal Studios in LA. My mom, sister, and I were eating lunch at a restaurant in the park when she came in. I immediately knew it was her but I was extremely shy back then. We were nearly finished with our meal when she got there, yet I made my mom and sister wait with me until I worked up my nerve to go talk to her. After what seemed like 2 days and many butterflies later, I finally worked up my courage to go to her table. When I got there, all I could ask if she was Brittany Murphy? When she said she was, I told her I grew up watching her in the Torklesons and had seen her in Clueless. I was not only star struck but I was meeting the girl I desperately wanted to be my friend. That was it, I was sweating by this point, probably red as a beet, and was ready to put myself out of the pain. I was beaming from ear to ear as we left that restaurant that day.

Brittany has disappointed me over the years but I've always had such high hopes for her that she'd get her act together and get her life straightened out. I was worried when I read of her marriage and feared this would be more trouble. Her frail frame wasn't very encouraging either but I just knew if we could be BFF's, I could change her for the good. I guess that didn't happen soon enough. I've never felt this sad about an actor/actress before. Perhaps it's that special connection we had from that one fate meeting in 1995! I'll miss you Brittany even if we never made it to BFF status.

Clueless (1995)