Brittany Murphy was born in Atlanta, Georgia to Angelo Bertolotti, an Italian American racketeering criminal, and Sharon Murphy, who is of Irish American and Eastern European descent.
Murphy's parents divorced shortly after her birth, and she was raised in Edison, New Jersey and Burbank, California by her single, working-class mother; she has had little contact with her father since the divorce.
Murphy was raised a Baptist, but is now non-denominational. Murphy has since starred in many successful films, including Clueless (1995), Don't Say a Word (2001), 8 Mile (2002) and Uptown Girls (2003) as well as many lesser known films, such as Spun (2003).
She has also appeared on several television series, including Sister, Sister, Boy Meets World and as the voice of Luanne Platter on the long-running animated series King of the Hill.
