As a top-rated sitcom, "Bewitched" was flying high, but the spell suddenly broke in 1972.
"We weren’t canceled," Erin Murphy, a former child star who played Tabitha Stephens in the ‘60s series, told Fox New Digital. "We’d been picked up for two more seasons. So we went on our hiatus thinking we were going to come back a month or two [later], and we never did. … They sent a letter to our house [stating] that they decided not to continue. So, I went to Girl Scout camp.
"I was happy to be able to do some of the after-school things, things I couldn’t do while I was on the show," the actress explained. "There are some restrictions when you’re a kid actor. I couldn’t play sports … and ended up with a black eye. So, I was kind of happy in some ways that the show ended. I missed the day-to-day on the set because I loved it, and I loved the people that I worked with. And it was a fun experience. But I was also a kid. I was happy that I could do more things with my friends."
"Bewitched" told the tale of a nose-twitching suburban sorceress (Elizabeth Montgomery) who was married to a wary mortal. The series, which premiered in 1964, was an instant hit, ranking second only to "Bonanza" in its first season.
Montgomery, who charmed audiences by solving comedic problems with magic, died in 1995. She would have turned 90 April 15.
The late star is now the subject of a new documentary premiering on Reelz, "Elizabeth Montgomery: A Bewitched Life." It features new interviews with those who knew and worked with the actress over the years, including her son Bill Asher and actor Richard Dreyfuss, among others. Murphy, 58, narrates the special.
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Murphy joined the series alongside her twin sister Diane when she was just 2 years old. After 18 episodes, Murphy played the role on her own. The star was 8 when she found herself out of a job and was eager to give showbiz a break. The mother of six returned to acting in the early 2010s.
"I think my secret is that I am eternally optimistic," she gushed. "I don’t know where it came from, but I knew from a very young age that this is my life and I want to do everything I can. So I wake up each day thinking, ‘What can I do today?’ … I think it’s all about balance. I know that this is it. This is my life, and I want it to be great. I’m constantly trying to learn [new] things. I take college classes. I’m involved with the Television Academy and a lot of charities, and my children."
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"I tell my kids and even my friends that you can’t let one facet of your life be your whole life," she continued. "You’ll be a happier person if you have interests, if you find things that you love to do. … I hate to see people who get so stuck in one thing that they’re sad when any day, you can change. … It’s all about navigating life and having fun with it."
Still, Murphy has no regrets about her child star years. She described Montgomery as a doting figure on set. She became friends with Montgomery’s children, who were around her age.
"She was like my mom on set," Murphy recalled. "We talked a lot about horse racing, which I loved since I was an animal lover. … You see such a short amount of it watching the show, but it takes a week to make one episode. So we spent a lot of time together.
"During my teenage years, we communicated through my parents. And as an adult, we became friends again. ... It’s funny. She was like the mom of my friends. I could call looking for my friend Billy and talk to Liz.
"She was just a cool lady," Murphy continued. "She was hardworking. She was … a boss babe. She didn’t just show up for the job. She was heavily involved with the production of the show. She also wasn’t afraid to change her image. I think, a lot of times, actors especially get stuck in the role that they’re famous for, and people can’t see them for anything else outside of that. But she easily shifted to darker movies. She did the switch so seamlessly. I think it’s inspiring."
Murphy also developed a close bond with her TV dads. For five years, Dick York played Darrin Stephens, the stressed-out husband of Montgomery’s Samantha. He was replaced on the show by Dick Sargent in 1969 when problems stemming from an old back injury, including a dependence on painkillers, forced him to leave.
"As a kid, I knew that he was in pain because it was talked about," said Murphy. "Kids hear everything. When you’re working on a set, people talk openly in front of the children. So, I knew that he was in pain. I knew they had a special board that he would lean against in between scenes because his back was hurting so much. And he also talked to me about it as a kid and as an adult.
"[He] told me that he had hurt himself," Murphy continued. "He was in pain. And when we reconnected when I was a grownup, he talked about that I was one of the things that led him [to] stay on the show for an extra season or two … He said he didn’t want me to worry about it. I kind of distracted him. He’s a father figure. I was a child, and he wanted me to be comfortable. So, he would read to me and spend time with me. And he said it would take his mind off the pain. So that … warms my heart to hear."
As for Sargent, Murphy said they also reconnected as adults. There were even "serious" talks of a "Bewitched" reboot, but the idea never came to fruition.
"They were both completely different people, but both wonderful in their own way," she said.
York, who suffered from emphysema, died in 1992 at age 63. Sargent, 64, died in 1994 after a battle with prostate cancer. As for Montgomery, she was making big plans for her future when her life suddenly came to an end.
"She was in talks to come out with a line of dressings, like sauces, when she passed away," said Murphy. "I don’t think most people know that. … I really think that might have happened because they were to the point where they already had labels and everything – it was a thing.
"One of the things that she loved was cooking," Murphy shared. "I kind of share her love of cooking. Her favorite dessert is still my favorite dessert, and it’s coffee ice cream with honey on top."
Murphy said her TV mom’s death was "shocking" and unexpected. According to reports, Montgomery was diagnosed with cancer about six weeks before she died at age 62.
While filming "Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan" in 1995, Montgomery started feeling weak and tired on set. She also suffered abdominal pains. Montgomery ignored the symptoms as she immersed herself in the film.
Montgomery became so sick while working that she later had to be hospitalized. Tests showed she had colon cancer. But by the time Montgomery was diagnosed, the cancer was so advanced that it had spread to her liver. She spent her final days at home surrounded by family.
"It was so quick when she passed away," Murphy admitted. "All my television parents from ‘Bewitched’ passed away within a five-year period. So, within a five-year period, Liz, Dick Sargent, Dick York and my actual dad all passed away. It was kind of a surreal time.
"I’m also one who’ll say, ‘Oh, something hurts, but it’ll be better in a couple of days,’" she reflected. "I think it’s important that if you’re feeling anything — if you’re feeling pain, if something’s not right — people need to go to the doctor. I don’t always do it myself, but things can happen very quickly."
Today, Murphy wants Montgomery to be remembered for more than just being a charming Hollywood leading lady.
"She loved [‘Bewitched’]," said Murphy. "It’s a part she was proud of. She had a lot of fun doing it. … She did a great job, and then she went on and did other things. It was just a small, but very memorable part of a long career.
"I would want her to be remembered as a multifaceted, talented, smart, wonderful … human, mother, friend," she noted. "She was a complicated, amazing woman. I think it’s one of the joys of being on a television show that people love. She will always be remembered."
