The actress is back in the news for a new documentary about her life.

Brittany Murphy was a cultural icon in the late '90s and early 2000s. She famously got her start as Tai Fraiser in <a href="https://www.lofficiel.co.uk/pop-culture/paul-rudds-birthday-jennifer-aniston-incredible-tribute" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Clueless</a>, now a cult classic film. Murphy showed up on the scene as a sweet young girl with curly hair and a bright smile. Over the next few years, she transformed herself into a blonde bombshell and went on to act in films like Girl, Interrupted and Just Married, alongside Ashton Kutcher, a shortlived boyfriend.&nbsp;
Recently, there's been a reevaluation of our Y2K leading ladies. <a href="https://www.lofficiel.co.uk/fashion/megan-fox-style-instagram-fashion-inspo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Megan Fox</a>, Paris Hilton, and <a href="https://www.lofficiel.co.uk/pop-culture/britney-spears-end-of-conservatorship-still-wants-justice-instagram" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Britney Spears</a> have all been cast in a new light since revelations about their treatment at the hands of family and the public have come forward. Fox, now starring in a lineup of new movies, was spoken about unfairly because of her reputation as a pretty face. Hilto has alleged abuse at her former boarding school. The #FreeBritney movement has made real headway in releasing Spears from her conservatorship.&nbsp;
Then there's Murphy. In a recent documentary, What Happened, Brittany Murphy?, the actress' quick rise to fame and subsequent untimely death are examined. Her drastic change in appearance is attributed to professional pressures to be more sexy, and therefore more castable in leading roles. After a marriage to a conniving figure, Murphy passed away in her <a href="https://www.lofficiel.co.uk/pop-culture/hollywood-stars-with-most-oscars-wins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hollywood</a> home at 32-years-old.&nbsp;
How much of her poor health was due to the culture of the time? Might she have had a longer career and life if some of the social protections we have now had been extended to her then? It's sad to think that the answer might be yes. As we celebrate her birthday, here's a look back at the young beauty, gorgeous from the very start of her career.&nbsp;

Who could forget the fashion of Clueless? To this day, these outfits are repeated and remixed. Murphy showed up at Beverly Hills high school as a skater geek and left as an A-List popular girl. And, as Murphy later pointed out, she did it all as a "vigin who couldn't drive."&nbsp;

Brittany Murphy rocked the '60s girl aesthetic in Girl, Interrupted as Daisy Randone. Better yet, she rolled up to the premiere looking like an absolute vixen in a black dress and, as was standard in the '90s, a matching shawl.&nbsp;

Murphy kicked off the 2000s as a bobbed blonde in 8 Mile alongside Eminem. The turn of the decade saw her step out of her shell as a sensual woman, taking on darker roles and darker sartorial choices.&nbsp;

Some of Murphy's most iconic outfits come from her 2003 film Uptown Girls in which she stars as Molly Gunn, a former rich girl turned nanny. Between her quirky day attire, and slinky nighttime dresses, this movie rivals Clueless as Murphy's most stylish.

The arrival of rom-com Just Married in 2003 introduced the world to a cute and fashionable couple in Murphy and Kutcher. The pair's fling was short lived, but their Y2K outfits live on the Internet forever. Welcome to Murphy's year of leather pants and flat-ironed hair.&nbsp;

Sin City cemented Murphy's status as a blonde sensation, and she was featured alongside other beauties like Jessica Alba, Roasrio Dawson, and Devon Aoki. The premieres of the film saw Murphy's return to brunette hair, however. Perhaps blondes don't always get to have all the fun.

Paul Oakenfold - Faster Kill Pussycat (Official Video) ft. Brittany Murphy

Murphy dabbled in a music career outside her main job as an actor. In 2006, she released "Faster Kill Pussycat" with Paul Oakenfold and the thumping club track hit number one on&nbsp;Billboard's&nbsp;Hot Dance Club Play chart. The video featured Murphy in full diva attire.

Murphy and Simon Monjack (2007-2009)

Murphy and Monjack had a highly debated marriage, and died only six months apart. Before then, however, the two lived together in Hollywood, making frequent appearances in coordinated, designer looks.

A Look Back at Brittany Murphy's Y2K Fashion

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