‘Clueless’ Star Elisa Donovan Remembers Brittany Murphy Ahead Of The Movie’s 25th Anniversary

Clueless alum Elisa Donovan recently reminisced about her experiences with the late Brittany Murphy while making the 1995 film.

According to Hollywood Life, the iconic teen film will celebrate its 25th anniversary on Monday, July 20. The movie helped launch Murphy’s career. She passed away on December 20, 2009, at the age of 32. Donovan, who played the role of Amber in the movie, had nothing but fond things to say about Murphy’s personality during filming.

“She was such a sweetheart,” she said of her co-star and friend. “She was like a hummingbird, kind of always operating at this very high, speedy sort of level. She was so sweet and so talented.”

The actress also shared a funny moment that she experienced with Murphy while they worked together. She said the 8 Mile star would often attempt to do her own hair after grueling days on set. According to Donovan, Murphy went against the hairstylist’s advisement each time she was in the dressing room, and it became a funny routine for the cast and crew to watch.

“I remember her curling it and burning her forehead and then it became this whole thing where she would be like, ‘I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to!'” Donovan recalled. “It was kind of this fumbling funny moment because she went, ‘I can do it myself,’ because she didn’t want to bug them.”

Murphy played Tai Frasier, the new girl at the fictional Bronson Alcott High School. She was taken under Cher (Alicia Silverstone) and Dion’s (Stacey Dash) wing. Following the success of Clueless, Murphy went on to act in several films like Uptown Girls, Girl, Interrupted and Just Married.

According to CNN, Murphy was found dead in her Los Angeles home. Her autopsy showed the cause of death was considered accidental and was brought on by a combination of pneumonia, an iron deficiency and multiple drug intoxication.

Months later, her husband, Simon Monjack, also died under similar circumstances. According to his autopsy report, he also succumbed to acute pneumonia. The mystery surrounding both deaths was the topic of Discovery ID’s documentary, Brittany Murphy: An ID Mystery. Since her passing, several of her co-stars, including Breckin Meyer, have paid tribute to her through the years.

Clueless went on to win several awards and even had a television spinoff in the mid-’90s. Donovan said that many of the cast members were experiencing being a part of a feature film for the first time, which made their time together even more exciting.