Child stars get to experience movie and TV-making magic, but in the case of this former kid actor, her first role was magical in more ways than one. Erin Murphy starred on Bewitched as Tabitha, the magical daughter of witch Samantha Stephens (Elizabeth Montgomery) and her mortal husband Darrin Stephens (Dick York, then Dick Sargent). Murphy joined the family sitcom when she was only two years old and remained until the series ended in 1972, when she was eight.
In the time since Bewitched ended, Murphy has done a little more acting but has also tried out many other careers in the entertainment business and beyond. Read on to find out more about the now 58-year-old star.
Murphy joined Bewitched during its third season and initially shared the role of Tabitha with her twin sister, Diane Murphy. But, after 18 episodes, Murphy began playing the role by herself, because she and Diane were not identical. “My sister and I are fraternal twins, and they were only auditioning twins for the part of Tabitha because twins can work more hours,” Murphy told Studio 10 in 2020. “As soon as they hired us, they realized that we really don’t look that much alike.” Murphy explained that while she loved being in the spotlight, Diane never liked being on set and would often cry.
The year after Bewitched concluded, Murphy appeared on a 1973 episode of Lassie. Then, in 1979, she was in a movie titled Deadly Fighters. After that, she took time off from acting onscreen before returning in the early 2010s. More recent roles have included the series The Comeback Kids, about former child stars, and an episode of Youthful Daze.
In a 2020 interview with Closer, Murphy explained, “I’ve been able to continue in the business and say no to a lot of stuff and occasionally do things for fun. I was offered jobs right after Bewitched and I turned them down. I went to Girl Scout camp instead of doing a part on The Waltons. So I kind of walked away from the business.” She added, “I haven’t had an acting agent in years, even though I still do a few acting jobs every year. I do a lot of theater now. I’ve done a bunch of webseries and pilots, basically as favors to friends.”
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Aside from acting, Murphy has stayed in the entertainment business by appearing on reality and game shows. She’s been on Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling, RuPaul’s Drag U, and in 2021 appeared on the revival of To Tell the Truth. She has worked in other aspects of the industry, too. In 2015, ABC News reported that Murphy had worked as a makeup artist, in production, and as a stunt double for actors Melissa Leo and Virginia Madsen.
On top of that, the former child star co-owns the company Slim Chillers, which makes alcoholic popsicles and, according to ABC News, has sold knitwear that she makes from alpaca wool.
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Murphy has been married three times and has six children. “Parents could kind of impose their choices about everything on their kids, or you can see what the kids are really interested in and encourage them to live their lives,” she told Closer. “That’s what I do. I have six boys who are as different as six people could be, and they’re all amazing.” One of Murphy’s sons has autism, and she’s become an advocate for those living with the disorder.
In the interview with Closer, Murphy said that she is “an eternally optimistic person” and she’s grateful for all of the positive things that came from her being on Bewitched as a kid.
“I’ve traveled around the world. I had a house on the beach in Malibu. I’ve had so many great opportunities and actually know people like Carol Burnett,” she told the magazine. “When she gets up and talks at the Golden Globes that everybody’s watching, I’m thinking, ‘I know her!’ I’ve just [had] amazing life experiences that are only because I was a kid actor. You can look at the long, hard hours, or you can look at all the positives. And for me, there are so many more positives than negatives.”
As for whether any more Bewitched is in her future, Murphy told Fox News in 2022 that she would be supportive of a reboot under the right conditions. “If they ever did a great script, and it had all the right people behind it, good casting director, all that, I would be open to the idea,” she said. She didn’t indicate, however, if she’d be interested in acting in such a show herself.