This ex-child star left Hollywood for motherhood and is now a 60-year-old mom of six and proud grandmother

The idea of an extraordinary being, such as a witch, marrying a regular man and wishing to live a typical housewife’s life sounds like something I would like to watch on television. But hold on, that’s precisely what the eight-season television series Bewitched, which aired from 1964 to 1972, is about. Perhaps you should look it up and see it if you haven’t already.

The twins Diane and Erin Murphy took turns playing the role of Tabitha, one of the characters in Bewitched.

The eldest daughter of Samantha (played by Elizabeth Montgomery), a witch with magical abilities, and her husband Darrin was sweet Tabitha. The young child, who was born to a “special” mother, demonstrated her witchcraft abilities at a very young age. Many fell in love with her character because of the way she twitched her tiny nose. It caused her parents a lot of trouble because sweet Tabitha needed to learn when not to use her superpowers.

These sisters, who played the part of Tabitha together, are now 60 years old. On June 17, 1964, they were born in Encino, California. Their mother left their teaching position to care for the girls after they were born. Murphy’s College, a business college in Los Angeles, was owned by their father, Dan Murphy.

Although Diane and Erin are fraternal twins and don’t look alike now, they were very similar as children and could have played the same role.

“They 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,” Erin said in a 2017 interview with Fox about their first appearance on the show. Therefore, they were searching for someone who didn’t mind the lights and resembled Elizabeth Montgomery. My fraternal twin sister Diane and I were selected for the role after our audition.

In the end, Erin assumed the role during season four since the girls no longer shared many similarities.
For the sisters, the show was a one-of-a-kind experience. Erin, in particular, expressed how much she loved being on set and surrounded by so many well-known actors and actresses, with whom she stayed in touch after the show ended.

“Bewitched provided me with some really amazing and unusual experiences, and I loved working on it, but in the end, I wanted to live a more normal life. Therefore, at the age of thirteen, I left the entertainment industry,” she said.

Before Elizabeth Montgomery died of colorectal cancer in May 1995 at the age of 62, she and her TV mom remained close friends.

Murphy told ABC, “Many people who knew Liz well and knew me told me how much I’m like her.” And I believe it’s because we grew up together for twelve hours every day. She would give me parenting advice, and I looked up to her as a parent. It’s funny how much I resemble her in many ways more than I do my own mother.

She also mentioned how she spent a lot of time in the dressing room of Agnes Morehead, who portrayed Tabitha’s maternal grandmother, Endora. “Looking back, she was probably my favorite character on the show,” Erin remarked.

I cherished her as if she were a grandparent. We had a wonderful, loving relationship, but she didn’t have grandchildren, and I didn’t get to see my grandparents, who lived in other states. In between scenes, she would do small tasks for me, such as drawing cartoons. She would regale me with tales. Everything was purple, so I really enjoyed entering her dressing room. She was the most colorful and beautiful person, in my opinion.

Erin, who appeared in commercials and had a few small TV roles after Bewitched concluded, is now a TV host and correspondent. She reprised her role as Tabitha in the 2017 comedy short TV Therapy.
She owns her own company and gives motivational speeches. She makes her own alpaca knitwear, which is sold by her business, Erin Murphy Knits. Additionally, she is the owner of Slim Chillers, a company that sells popular frozen vodka martini ice pops worldwide.

Murphy, who currently resides in California, stated in 2014, “I never really thought I would wind up in the alcohol business, but I have enjoyed a few good martinis in my life.”

Erin has three marriages and six kids, all of whom are boys between the ages of 17 and 35. She says she feels incredibly flattered when fans tell her she did a fantastic job portraying the young witch, and she loves when people recognize her as Tabitha.

“I think it’s really nice, and I’m willing to meet fans, pose for photos, and respond to inquiries about ‘Bewitched.'” That people value what I did makes me happy. I think it’s fantastic,” she said to Fox.

Erin celebrated the 60th anniversary of the iconic series on X in September by writing, “Want to feel old? Today, September 17, 1964, marks 60 years since the premiere of “Bewitched.” Moreover, I, little Tabitha, am sixty years old!

“You know what’s funny?” Erin responds when asked if her grandchildren watch the show that made her famous. Not very much. I feel strange. Sitting down to observe oneself has always seemed a bit self-centered to me.

Conversely, Diane resides in Santa Barbara and, based on her LinkedIn profile, works for herself and specializes in clinical development and medical writing. She holds an M.B.A. in management from Golden Gate University and a Bachelor of Science in psychology and sociology from the University of California.

In addition, she serves as associate executive director of Shelter Services for Women, a group that houses women and children who are victims of domestic violence. Diane is also a member of the Greater Santa Barbara Community Association’s board of directors, which awards scholarships to local gay students.