Since the last original episode of Bewitched aired in 1972, things have been looking pretty good for actress Erin Murphy. If you can recall, Murphy played the young Tabitha Stephens on the popular supernatural show for 103 episodes. While many child actors become burnt out or turn towards addictive vices, Murphy has been living her best life.
Ironically, her best life doesn’t necessarily include being behind the camera. Nowadays, she prefers the stage and playing the role of a stay-at-home mom. But that’s not all; keep reading to find out what this former child star has been up to since the final Bewitched episode.
Her Bewitched Resume
Erin Murphy, along with her twin Diane, was born in 1964. Three years later, the two young girls joined the cast of the popular ABC series Bewitched. Their role, the oldest daughter of Samantha and Darrin Stephens, Tabitha. Think Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen playing the same role in Full House.
They shared the character for 18 episodes. But once the twins started to grow, their appearances didn’t look as identical. So, the studio opted to keep Erin on board for the rest of the series. She went on to portray Tabitha in 103 episodes, with the final one airing in 1972.
She Is Still Asked About Her Childhood Role
Believe it or not, people still ask Erin Murphy about her time as Tabitha on Bewitched. Even many years later, people are still interested to learn about her experience, talk about the rest of the cast, and see her feelings about being a childhood star at such a young age.
When asked if it’s weird to talk about the show, Murphy said, “It’s not odd, because it’s been my entire life, so I don’t know anything else. You know, when I think about Bewitched, I really just think about how lucky I was. I really feel kind of honored to have been on a show that people love so much.”
Lunch And The Animals
Being so young, one would think Murphy would have a difficult time remembering certain aspects of the show, such as behind the scenes moments. Interestingly, the actress does remember snippets of her time spent on the set of Bewitched, namely various lunches and the different animals they used for episodes.
During an interview with Closer Weekly, Murphy said, “I have memories, obviously, from what I see on camera. But I also remember things about, “Oh yeah, that’s the day when … ,” and I remember something we had for lunch that day. I remember the scenes and the animals that were there — we had chimpanzees and elephants…”
Elizabeth Montgomery And Dick York Taught Her A Lot
When it comes to being a child, the last thing you most want to do is take direction from adults. But for Erin Murphy, that’s exactly what she did during her time on the set of Bewitched. As the youngest cast member for quite some time, she had to learn how to follow instructions and learn from her co-stars.
For Murphy, it was no problem at all. She loved working with Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York, her on-screen parents. During an interview with Closer Weekly, Murphy said, “Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York were wonderful people, and I learned a lot from all of them. And they loved kids.”
Non-CGI Effects Were All She Knew
If you watched the original Bewitched when it was on the air, then you know that a lot of special effects were used for Samantha’s powers. Well, believe it or not, CGI wasn’t exactly a thing yet, and green screens were just coming onto the film scene.
So, when Erin Murphy was asked what it was like filming, she gave a pretty explanation — she didn’t know anything different. “I’m sure if I’d done another show before, like The Brady Bunch, I would have thought, “Wow, this is taking longer to shoot.” But back then, it was my main job, so it seemed normal to me.”
The Switch Of On-Screen Dads Wasn’t Too Hard
As a child actor, it must be difficult to see actors recast, killed off, or just plain old fired from a show. For Erin Murphy, she watched as one of the people she worked with a lot left the show. In the middle of Bewitched, Dick York left due to on-going back issues, replaced by Dick Sargent for the role of Darrin.
During an interview, Murphy said, “I was aware that he was in pain, and the situation was explained to me. I mean, we had different actors playing different family members of mine, you know, all the time, so it wasn’t that big a transition.” Easiest child actor ever!
She Kind Of Walked Away From The Business
Unlike a lot of child actors, Erin Murphy seemed to have a smooth transition out of the entertainment industry. She didn’t get roped into a singing or modeling gig like many young stars her age. Instead, Murphy did things her way, deciding what was best for her well-being.
While she had many offers after Bewitched ended, Murphy did something not a lot of actors can muster up the courage to do, she kind of walked away on her own terms. In an interview, she said, “I think a lot of it is in some ways I walked away from the business before maybe the business kicked me out.”
She Went To Girl Scout Camp Instead Of Taking A Job
Although Erin Murphy was offered a lot of jobs after Bewitched finally came to an end, the young star opted to do things her way. As Murphy puts it, she was a very confident young star and didn’t look for anyone’s approval. A trait that probably made it easy for her to go after some new dreams.
Since she grew up in the spotlight with a high-profile job, it’s not weird that Murphy wanted to do some normal kid activities after the show ended. Instead of taking a role on The Waltons, the young actresses opted to go to Girl Scout Camp!
Auditions Were A Thing Of The Past
After the final episode of Bewitched aired, Erin Murphy and her family moved to Orange County. The move was kind of the final nail in the coffin to Murphy’s child star career. No longer was she doing the crazy auditions, only driving up to Los Angeles when jobs were guaranteed.
During an interview, Murphy said, “I continued to go up to L.A. when there were guaranteed jobs, but I stopped doing the crazy auditions where I’d be sitting in a room with a hundred kids who looked just like me being rejected.”
Auditions Require A Certain Attitude
Although Erin Murphy had the luxury of picking and choosing jobs she wanted to commit to, that doesn’t mean she didn’t enjoy the auditioning process. While some people no doubt hate the concept of auditioning and rejection, Murphy quite enjoyed it, saying its all about attitude.
During an interview, the actress said, “I actually loved the auditions. I had friends that I would only see at auditions, so I loved that part of it. If you’re there for the fun of it and you actually love the work, the audition process isn’t terrible.” That’s good advice for anyone trying to break into the business!
There Are More Positives Than Negatives In Her Life
When it comes to being a former child actor, Erin Murphy likes to look at all of the positive things that came out of the experience. While some will think of the long grueling hours, she likes to think of all of the opportunities it gave her, and all of the wonderful people she was able to meet because of her role on Bewitched.
During an interview, Murphy said, “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. I’ve just amazing life experiences that are only because I was a kid actor.”
Optimism Is The Name Of The Game
For Murphy, staying positive and having an optimistic outlook on life is how she likes to live. According to the actress, she’s always tried to look at the brighter side of things, even as a child working long hours on set. And it’s a trait she’s been teaching her children.
During an interview, Murphy said, “[Optimisim] is something I’ve always taught my kids. You have no control over what happens or how other people act. You have total control over how you act. You could choose to be happy in any situation.” These are words to live by, folks.
Volunteering And Charity Work
Since the show ended and little Erin Murphy grew up, she’s been spending a lot of her time volunteering and working with various charity organizations. She is a hug believe in giving back to the community, helping those in need, and educating people on various topics, namely autism.
During an interview with Closer Weekly, Murphy said, “I’m really lucky for the life I have and the opportunities I’ve had. And you could either let them take you to do the wrong things or figure out how to use those opportunities to do something good.”
Alpacas And Eco-Friendly Products
Since Erin Murphy put acting on the back burner, shes been taking the time to start her own eco-friendly company. Would you believe that her company has everything to do with alpacas? In the January 2012 issues of OK!, Murphy discussed her business.
Apparently, she and her husband have a ranch in Bell Canyon, California. There, they raise alpacas, using their coast to make eco-friendly clothing products. The company name is Erin Murphy Knits. Interestingly, the company started with Murphy and her husband using the alpacas as a sort of animal therapy for their autistic son.
She’s Still Figuring Things Out
With the volunteer work, charities, her own company, three kids, and a husband, it’s interesting to learn that Erin Murphy is still trying to figure things out for herself. Unlike other people who work all day and all night, she wants to make the most of her time.
So, to start, she bought herself a brand new Tesla! And while she isn’t sure if she wants to work long hours or not, Murphy is definitely looking to spend some time doing fun projects and enjoying herself.
She Hasn’t Had An Agent In Years
Most actors will keep an agent, just to have someone looking out for prospective job opportunities. But Erin Murphy, she hasn’t had an agent in years! We kind of understand, though, since acting isn’t necessarily her priority in life right now. But that doesn’t mean the actress is totally out of the industry.
Little miss former child star is still offered roles from time to time, something Murphy says is very flattering. But, for now, she acquires jobs by herself, dabbling in theatre as well as some web series as favors to friends.
Her Main Job Is Being A Mother
Erin Murphy has six children, three of whom still lived at home, as of February 2020. For her, the most important job she could have right now is being the best mother and wife for her family. And, considering she has three or so years before her youngest graduates high school, she’s living it up!
One of her sons is also autistic, so taking care of him takes up a lot of her time, especially with the events she goes to, speaks at, and organizes in hopes to bring awareness of the condition to the public.
Slim Chillers Are Her Next Business Venture
Aside from her alpaca wear company, Erin Murphy ventured into the food industry. Her newest company is Slim Chillers, frozen adult beverage ice pops! Honestly, we’re going to have to run to the store and try these because they sound perfect for a hot summer day!
The ice pops are sold in every state in the US and even abroad in Austalia and China. If she’s able to sell these internationally, then they have to be good, right? Well, we’re trying them, regardless.
After Bewitched, Murphy Worked Odd Jobs
It’s common for more actors to work odd jobs to make ends meet while auditioning for various roles, hoping to get hired for at least one. For Bewitched alum Erin Murphy, that wasn’t exactly the case. Instead of working odd jobs before her career took off, this actress did the opposite.
After her time on the popular series, Murphy continued to work, but some of her jobs were very odd. Aside from acting, Murphy has worked as a stunt double, acting teacher, motivational speaker, makeup artist, casting director, and even a fashion stylist!
She’s Proud To Be Part Of The Bewitched Family
While Bewitched ended in 1972, fans are still completely enamored with the idea of the characters and magic. So much so that a movie was even made in 2005 based on the characters! For Erin Murphy, she likes how the series was able to touch so many people and translate across fanbases and languages.
During an interview with Closer Weekly, Murphy said, “the show was so enormously popular with the LGBTQ community because the main character was a witch and hidden in the closet. She couldn’t be herself. And that’s it: it translates across so many different things, and it holds up.”
