Breckin Meyer will never forget the talent of his late costar Brittany Murphy.
Meyer, 49, reflected on Murphy’s sudden death in 2009 at age 32 during an April episode of Steve Kmetko’s “Still Here Hollywood” podcast. The actor reflected on how talented Murphy was and how he would love to see what she could have accomplished.
“Britt passed away as an adult, but she’s one of those people who I always think about. I wish I could see what she would have done now,” Meyer said before recalling how “crazy talented” the actress was on and off screen.
“Only the surface had been dealt with,” he said about her career at the time of her death. “She was such a good singer, and seeing how many people cross over into music and movies, I was like, ‘Oh, I would have loved to see Brittany do that.'”
Meyer and Murphy played love interests Travis Birkenstock and Tai Frasier, respectively, in 1995’s Clueless. The pair went on to work together for eight years on the animated series King of the Hill.
Meyer described Murphy as “the sun,” explaining, “She was so effervescent and great and for her to pass away like that, in such a s—ty way and in such a toxic relationship, just was so terrible.”
Murphy collapsed in the bathroom of her Los Angeles home after dealing with an illness for many days. The coroner determined her cause of death to be pneumonia, combined with anemia and “multiple drug intoxication” that were both prescription and over the counter, including cold medicine and painkillers.
At the time, Murphy was married to Simon Monjack. They wed in April 2007, and their relationship was riddled with ups and downs before her 2009 death.
Assistant LA Coroner Ed Winter said after Murphy’s passing, per multiple outlets, “She had been sick at least two weeks. Had they taken her to a doctor or hospital, it would have been treatable.”
Following the Uptown Girls actress’ sudden death, suspicions turned to her husband, who denied any allegations that he was responsible for her death. “It’s utterly ridiculous that these rumors have [been] perpetuated,” Monjack said in a bizarre tell-all interview with Today in January 2010.
Five months later, in May 2010, Monjack was found dead in his and Murphy’s home at age 40. His cause of death was eerily similar to his wife’s, and the Los Angeles coroner declared Monjack died of acute pneumonia and severe anemia.
