An out of this world creature like a witch marrying an ordinary man and wanting to lead just a normal life of a typical housewife sounds like something I would like to see unfolding on the TV screens. But wait, the series Bewitched which ran for eight seasons between 1964 and 1972 is exactly about that. If you havenโt seen it yet, maybe you should search it and check it out.
One of the characters in Bewitched, that of Tabitha, was played by twins Diane and Erin Murphy, who took turns to act.
Sweet Tabitha was the eldest daughter of the magically gifted witch Samantha, played by Elizabeth Montgomery, and her husband Darrin. Being born to a โspecialโ mom, the little girl showed her witchcraft skills from very early age. Her twitching her tiny nose made many fall in love with her character. Sweet Tabitha had to be taught when not to use her superpowers and it gave her parents hard time.
Today, the sisters who shared the role of Tabitha are 60 years old. They were born on June 17, 1964 in Encino, California. When the girls were born, their mom quit their job as a teacher to take care of them. Their dad, Dan Murphy, owned a business college, Murphyโs College, in Los Angeles.
Diane and Erin are fraternal twins and they donโt look like one another today, but when they were young they were very similar and could play the same role.
Speaking of the time they got to be part of the show, Erin toldย Foxย in 2017, โThey had previously shown it in black and white, so the big push of the third season was that the show was going to color and that they were going to focus more on the character of Tabitha. So they were looking for someone who looked like Elizabeth Montgomery and wasnโt afraid of the lights. I auditioned with my fraternal twin sister Diane and we got the part.โ
Eventually, during season four, it was Erin who took over the role as the girls didnโt resemble one another that much any longer.
The show represented a unique experience for the sisters, especially Erin who said she enjoyed being on set and around so many famous actors and actresses she remained close to after the show was over.
โI loved working on Bewitched, and it gave me some very unique and wonderful experiences, but eventually, I wanted to lead a more regular life. So I quit the entertainment business when I was thirteen years old,โ she said.
She and her TV mom remained close friends until May 1995, when Elizabeth Montgomeryย passed awayย of colorectal cancer, age 62.
โA lot of people who knew Liz well and knew me told me how much Iโm like her,โ Murphy toldย ABC. โAnd I think itโs because we spent 12 hours a day together growing up. I looked to her as a parent, and she would tell me what to do like a parent. In a lot of ways Iโm so much like her than I am my own mom, which is hilarious.โ
She also said how she remembers spending a lot of time in Agnes Moreheadโs dressing room, who played Endora, Tabithaโs maternal grandmother. โShe was probably my favorite person on the show in retrospect,โ Erin said.
โI loved her like a grandparent. I had grandparents who lived in other states I didnโt get to see and she didnโt have grandchildren, and we had a really great, loving relationship. Sheโd do little things like draw little cartoons for me in between scenes. Sheโd tell me stories. I loved going into her dressing room because everything was purple. I just thought she was the most colorful, most beautiful person.โ
Happy birthday to twins @Erin_Murphy and Diane Murphy!! Watch them play Tabitha Stephens on Bewitched, every day on #AntennaTV! Whatโs your favorite #TabithaStephens memory? pic.twitter.com/Sh8sJ67pge
โ Antenna TV (@AntennaTV) June 17, 2019
Today, Erin, who had some minor TV roles after Bewitched ended and was part of commercials, works as a TV host and correspondent. In 2017, she played the role of Tabitha again in the comedy shortย TVย Therapy.
She is a motivational speaker and a business owner as well. Her company Erin Murphy Knits sells alpaca knitwear that she makes herself. She also owns the company Slim Chillers which sells frozen vodka martini ice pops loved all over the world.
โI never really thought I would wind up in the alcohol business, but I have enjoyed a few good martinis in my life,โ Murphy, who is now living in California,ย saidย in 2014.
Erin married three times and has six children, all boys aged 17 to 35. She loves when people recognize her as Tabitha and says she feels really flattered when fans tell her she did an awesome job playing the young witch.
โI think itโs very kind and Iโm very open to posing for pictures, meeting fans and answering questions about โBewitched.โ Iโm thankful that people appreciate what I did. I think itโs awesome,โ she told Fox.
In September, Erin commemorated the 60th anniversary of the legendary series on X, posting, โWant to feel old? โBewitchedโ debuted 60 years ago today, September 17, 1964. โAND little Tabitha (me!) is 60 years old!โ
Asked if her grandchildren watch the series that brought her fame, Erin says, โYou know whatโs funny? Not a lot. I feel weird. Iโve always felt like itโs a little self-centered to sit down and watch yourself.โ
Diane, on the other hand, lives in Santa Barbara and according to her LinkedIn page, sheโs self-employed and is working with medical writing and clinical development. She has a Bachelorโs degree in psychology and sociology from the University of California, and an M.B.A in management from Golden Gate University.
Sheโs also an associate executive director of Shelter Services for Women, which is an organization providing shelter to women and children victims of domestic abuse. Diane is at the same time a member of the board of directors of the Greater Santa Barbara Community Association, which gives scholarships to homosexual students in the community.
The role of Tabitha is truly an iconic one. It left a mark in the life of many generations who enjoyed watching the show.
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