Imagine a supernatural being like a witch marrying an ordinary man and trying to live a normal life as a typical housewife—that’s a storyline you’d want to see unfold on TV. And you can, because the classic series Bewitched, which aired for eight seasons from 1964 to 1972, is built on that very premise. If you haven’t watched it yet, now might be the perfect time to look it up and give it a try.

In the show, the enchanting Samantha Stephens, known for her iconic nose twitch, was brought to life by the stunning Elizabeth Montgomery. This talented actress became a star in the 1960s, but her life was tragically cut short.

Born in Los Angeles on April 15, 1933, Montgomery was the daughter of a Broadway actress and a film star. Her father was the acclaimed actor Robert Montgomery, and she followed in his footsteps.

In a 1954 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Montgomery shared, “Dad tells me I often climbed on his lap after dinner and remarked, ‘I’m going to be an actress when I grow up.’ I don’t know whether he encouraged me or not, but he told me he would humor me and would tell me to wait and see what happened when I grew up. I’ll be real honest and say that Daddy did help me get a break in TV, and I’m really grateful for his assistance and guidance. He’s my most severe critic, but also a true friend as well as a loving father.”

Montgomery made her television debut as a teenager on her father’s show, Robert Montgomery Presents, and continued to appear on various programs.

At 20, this strikingly beautiful actress made her Broadway debut in Late Love, and two years later, she appeared on the big screen in her first film, The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell.

Montgomery quickly became a household name, starring in numerous films, including Mrs. Sundance (1973), A Case of Rape (1974), The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975), Black Widow Murders (1993), The Corpse Had a Familiar Face (1994), and Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan (1995). However, her role in Bewitched remains one of her most iconic. “I’d never thought much about a series because I liked the idea of picking a script I liked with a character I thought I could sustain for an hour. In a series, you live with one character day in and day out—and you only hope it will be one that will not drive you crazy,” Montgomery told the AP in 1965.

Montgomery was married four times. Her first marriage, to Frederick Gallatin Cammann, was short-lived. She then married award-winning actor Gig Young, but they divorced in 1963. While filming Johnny Cool, she met her third husband, William Asher, with whom she had three children. Her fourth husband, Robert Foxworth, was with her until her death.

“Before Jane Seymour, before Lindsay Wagner, and before Valerie Bertinelli, Elizabeth was the first Queen of the TV movies; she went from queen of the witches to queen of the TV movie, and it was no longer a struggle to break away from Bewitched,” said Herbie J Pilato, author of two books on Elizabeth Montgomery.

In 1995, Montgomery passed away from colon cancer, a disease she believed she had overcome. Unfortunately, by the time it was detected, the cancer had spread to her liver. She died peacefully in her sleep, surrounded by her husband and daughters. Her remains were cremated at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Elizabeth Montgomery was an extraordinary actress, and she is still deeply missed.

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