If you were someone who enjoyed watching tv in the 1960s and 1970s, it’s likely that you caught at least a few episodes of the show Bewitched. The charming television sitcom ended up being a huge huge success and went on to win a number of prestigious awards.
The child Tabitha, who became a favorite character over the course of the show’s run, was portrayed by not one but two different actors in the form of identical twin sisters Diane and Erin Murphy.
What exactly are the two sisters up to nowadays?
I have always had a great deal of respect and admiration for child actors and actresses. As a child, it can be very challenging to pursue a career in the performing arts because this field calls for a high level of skill, patience, and talent.
On the other hand, over the course of the years, we’ve witnessed a lot of children grow up to become real celebrities. When viewed through this lens, it is not an exaggeration to say that Diane and Erin Murphy were indeed two of the most successful and promising young actresses.
The story of a witch who gave up her magical powers, took a human husband, and decided to lead a regular life in a typical American suburb as a housewife gained a lot of attention.
Tabitha Stephens, from the TV show Bewitched
On September 17, 1964, the first episode of Bewitched, a popular and highly-praised sitcom fantasy series, was broadcast. At the time, very few people knew that the show would eventually become one of the most popular shows on television.
“I Married a Witch” and “Bell, Book and Candle” were two of the movies that Sol Saks, the creator of the series, cited as influences when he was writing the script for the pilot episode.
Bewitched, which was broadcast on ABC, went on to win a number of Emmys; in addition, the actors in the show were nominated for a number of Golden Globes. In addition to this, it went on to become one of the sitcoms with the longest runs of any in the history of the tv network.
Elizabeth Montgomery portrayed Samantha, a stunningly beautiful woman with mystical abilities, in the classic sitcom from the 1960s. But there was one character who would become even more popular and, on a number of occasions, steal the spotlight entirely from everyone else.
You probably already guessed that the person in question was Tabitha Stephens, the eldest daughter of Samantha Stephens and her husband Darrin. Her extraordinary abilities astounded everyone, and oh my goodness, was she adorable!
Tabitha, the daughter of the couple, held a very special place in the hearts of the viewers. But did you know that over the course of the first four seasons, Tabitha was portrayed by two different sets of twin sisters? In total, Tabitha has been portrayed by three different sets of twin couples.
Both Erin Murphy and her identical twin sister Diane played the role, and both of them quickly won fans’ favor.
The Murphy sisters were born in Encino, California, on June 17, 1964.
They are fraternal twin sisters, with Diane coming into the world five minutes before Erin. Diane and Erin weren’t identical because they were fraternal. They could, however, easily pass for one another if they were you.
To be a full-time mother to her newborn daughters, their mother Stephanie made the decision to resign from her position as a teacher. In the meantime, Murphy’s College, a business school in Los Angeles, was owned by their father Dan Murphy.
They both played the part during the third and fourth season, and it would turn out to be a huge success for both of those seasons.
Nevertheless, Erin eventually took over the role on a permanent basis during the fourth season, as the girls started to look less alike. Diane’s run on the cherished sitcom had come to an end. But when she was asked about her time on the show, she revealed that she wasn’t all that saddened about being removed from the show.
Erin’s participation on the show meant that she got to spend a lot of time with the other actors and actresses on the cast. She developed a very close relationship with Montgomery, and the two remained in touch up until Elizabeth’s death in May 1995 at the age of 62 from colorectal cancer.
In an interview with ABC, Murphy stated, “A lot of people who knew Liz well and knew me told me how much I’m like her. And I believe it’s because we used to spend a full twelve hours a day together when we were kids. I looked up to her as if she was my mother, and she would give me instructions like a parent would. It’s funny because in some ways I’m more similar to her than I am to my own mom. In a lot of ways.
Her favorite place to be was in Agnes Morehead’s dressing room, despite the fact that she enjoyed being the center of attention on the set. Endora, Samantha’s mother, was portrayed by Morehead. In 1974, she passed away at the age of 73.
According to IMDB, Erin appeared in a total of 102 episodes of the television show Bewitched over the course of her six seasons of employment on the program. Her sister Diane eventually came back to the show, but only in small roles as different characters.
So, after her success as the child who possessed supernatural abilities, what did Erin Murphy go on to do?
Erin became an extremely successful TV host and correspondent as she got older and her career progressed. In recent years, she has also held a job working as a motivational speaker for a number of different charitable organizations.
Erin has not only accomplished this, but she has also started her own company. Her company, Erin Murphy Knits, specializes in the sale of knitwear made from alpaca. Additionally, she is the owner of a company that produces frozen vodka martini ice pops and goes by the name Slim Chillers. These ice pops are currently being distributed all over the world.
She is currently 58 years old and the mother of six sons ranging in age from 17 to 35. She currently resides in the Los Angeles area and has been married three times. People continue to congratulate Erin on the outstanding performance she gave in the role of Tabitha in the television show Bewitched, even in the present day.
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