Brittany Murphy, 32; featured in ‘8 Mile,’ ‘Girl, Interrupted’

Los Angeles city firefighters responded to a medical call about 8 a.m. at the 8,000-square-foot home Ms. Murphy shared with her husband, British screenwriter Simon Monjack. It was unclear who found Ms. Murphy.

Firefighters tried unsuccessfully to revive her, then transported her to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead about two hours later.

Los Angeles police opened an investigation into the cause of her death.

Authorities said that she was taking prescription drugs for a variety of medical ailments but added that according to preliminary indications foul play was not involved.

An autopsy was planned for tomorrow.

Reached at his home in northern Florida, Ms. Murphy’s father, Angelo Bertolotti, said he learned of his daughter’s death from his son (Ms. Murphy’s half-brother), who read it on the Internet.

“It’s too shocking and too fast,’’ Bertolotti said. “It just doesn’t make sense to me. As we speak I am staring at a picture of her. I just can’t believe it. Can’t convince myself she’s gone.’’

Bertolotti said he and Ms. Murphy’s mother divorced when their daughter was 4. He said the last time he saw her was about three years ago. Bertolotti described himself as a “retired mobster’’ who now works in the movie business.

Bertolotti said his daughter was close to her mother, Sharon Murphy.

“They were inseparable,’’ said Bertolotti, who said Ms. Murphy also leaves three half-siblings. “She was a wonderful girl. She worked hard to get where she was. I am absolutely broken up.’’

A native of Atlanta, Brittany Murphy moved to Burbank with her mother when she was 13. Since getting her big break in “Clueless,’’ she also appeared in the Michael Douglas thriller “Don’t Say a Word’’ and the Winona Ryder-Angelina Jolie drama “Girl, Interrupted.’’

A series of lighter roles followed the 2002 film “8 Mile,’’ including a leading actress role in the Ashton Kutcher romantic comedy “Just Married,’’ in 2003.

She also co-starred in “Sin City’’ (2005), “Little Black Book’’ (2004), “Uptown Girls’’ (2003), and “Riding in Cars with Boys’’ (2001).

She lent her voice to many animated characters, including Luanne Platter on Fox’s “King of the Hill’’ and Gloria the penguin in the 2006 feature “Happy Feet.’’

Curtis Hanson, who directed Ms. Murphy on “8 Mile,’’ said the actress’s personal attributes combined easily with her on-screen work.

“She was a very special and vulnerable person,’’ Hanson said. “The honesty of her emotions made it so that (her lines) didn’t feel like scripted dialogue.’’

Ms. Murphy’s Hollywood life sometimes crossed paths with her personal life. In 2004 she broke off an engagement with Jeff Kwatinetz, a principal at the company that managed her career.

She also briefly dated Kutcher. Kutcher sent a Twitter message saying, “2day the world lost a little piece of sunshine. My deepest condolences go out 2 Brittany’s family, her husband & her amazing mother Sharon.’’

Ms. Murphy, who most recently starred in “Across the Hall,’’ an independent feature in limited release, will be seen in the upcoming Sylvester Stallone action movie “The Expendables.’’

She was also the subject of reports that she left production before ending work on her current project, “The Caller.’’ That account was parodied on a recent “Saturday Night Live’’ episode.