Claim: Acting is a career that Brittany Murphy pursued.

Brittany Murphy-Monjack -LRB- born Brittany Anne Bertolotti ; November 10 , 1977 -- December 20 , 2009 -RRB- , known professionally as Brittany Murphy , was an American film and stage actress , singer , and voice artist . A native of Atlanta , Murphy moved to Los Angeles as a teenager and pursued a career in acting . Her breakthrough role was as Tai Frasier in Clueless -LRB- 1995 -RRB- , followed by supporting roles in independent films such as Freeway -LRB- 1996 -RRB- and Bongwater -LRB- 1998 -RRB- . She made her stage debut in a Broadway production of Arthur Miller 's A View from the Bridge in 1997 , before appearing as Daisy Randone in Girl , Interrupted -LRB- 1999 -RRB- and as Lisa Swenson in Drop Dead Gorgeous -LRB- 1999 -RRB- .   The 2000s saw Murphy with roles in Do n't Say a Word -LRB- 2001 -RRB- alongside Michael Douglas , and alongside Eminem in 8 Mile -LRB- 2002 -RRB- , for which she gained critical recognition . Her later roles included Riding in Cars with Boys -LRB- 2001 -RRB- , Spun -LRB- 2002 -RRB- , Uptown Girls -LRB- 2003 -RRB- , Sin City -LRB- 2005 -RRB- , and Happy Feet -LRB- 2006 -RRB- . Murphy also voiced Luanne Platter on the animated television series King of the Hill -LRB- 1997 -- 2009 -RRB- . Her final film , Something Wicked , was released in April 2014 .   In December 2009 , Murphy died of pneumonia at the age of 32 . When her widower Simon Monjack died from the same illness six months later , the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services considered toxic mold in their home as a possible cause for their deaths , but this was dismissed by the Coroner 's Office . In 2011 , Murphy 's mother Sharon filed a lawsuit against the attorneys who represented her in an earlier suit against the builders of the home where her daughter and son-in-law died .