Bewitched child star is unrecognisable as she surprises Sunrise presenter on stage

One of the most recognisable child stars from the late ’60s made a surprise appearance at a pre-Oscars cabaret show in Hollywood earlier this month.

Erin Murphy, who played young Tabitha Stephens in the American sitcom Bewitched, joined singer and TV presenter Nelson Aspen on stage for his show ‘Welcome Home’ at the Gardenia club in Los Angeles on March 9.

The 58-year-old was invited for an impromptu Q&A with Aspen and Emmy-winning actress Carolyn Hennesy, famous for her long-running role as Diane Miller in the soap opera General Hospital.

While on stage, she performed a duet with Aspen of Bewitched’s iconic theme song, composed by Jack Keller and Howard Greenfield.

Known for starring as the magical daughter of a witch (Elizabeth Montgomery) and her mortal husband (Dick York, later replaced by Dick Sargent) in the ABC comedy, today Murphy is one of just two surviving original actors from Bewitched – the other being her twin sister Diane, with whom she shared the role of Tabitha.

Murphy (left, with Elizabeth Montgomery) joined former Sunrise presenter Nelson Aspen on stage for his show ‘Welcome Home’ at the Gardenia club in Los Angeles on March 9 (right)

The 58-year-old (centre) was invited for an impromptu Q&A with Aspen (left) and actress Carolyn Hennesy (right), famous for playing Diane Miller in the soap opera General Hospital

She stepped away from the spotlight after the last episode of Bewitched aired in 1972, but remained a familiar face to viewers thanks to reruns and syndication.

Murphy, who was just two years old when she began playing Tabitha, graduated from El Toro High School in Lake Forest, California, in 1981, then worked as a casting director, makeup artist, stylist, acting teacher and stunt double.

Later in life, the mother of six returned to the entertainment business as a TV presenter for Fox Reality Channel and E! among other networks, and also hosted various infomercials.

She is still working in the entertainment business as an actress and voice-over artist, in addition to being the co-owner of an alcoholic icy pole brand, Slim Chillers.

Bewitched, which aired from 1964 to 1972, starred Elizabeth Montgomery as a kind-hearted witch named Samantha who falls in love with and marries an ordinary man called Darrin.

Bewitched, which aired from 1964 to 1972, starred Elizabeth Montgomery as a kind-hearted witch named Samantha who weds an ordinary man called Darrin (Dick York). While Samantha makes an honest attempt at living a normal life, her family of witches and warlocks are always meddling in her affairs, including her mother Endora, played by Agnes Moorehead (right)

Murphy (seen with Montgomery) stepped away from the spotlight after the last episode aired in 1972, but remained a familiar face to viewers thanks to reruns and syndication

Darrin wants to live a normal, unmagical life, and Samantha makes an honest attempt at hiding her powers from the outside world.

However, her family of witches and warlocks are constantly meddling in her affairs, including her mother Endora, played by Agnes Moorehead.

Dick York played Darrin for the first few seasons but left in 1969 to deal with health problems related to a back injury and was replaced by Dick Sargent. 

Murphy began appearing on the show as Darrin and Samantha’s daughter Tabitha in 1966, and remained on the program until it ended in 1972.

She and her twin sister Diane were jointly cast as Tabitha in order to comply with U.S. child labour laws limiting how many hours each girl could be put to work.

But, as Murphy told Studio 10 in March 2020, she and Diane were fraternal twins and ‘as soon as they hired us they realised we really don’t look that much alike’.

She explained ‘they ended up showing my sister from the back or from a distance and then after the first year I took over’.

Murphy (pictured in 2021) was just two when she began playing Tabitha, and later worked as a casting director, makeup artist, stylist, acting teacher and stunt double. Later in life, the mum of six returned to the entertainment business as a TV presenter for Fox Reality Channel and E!

Murphy also said Montgomery, who died from cancer in May 1995 at the age of 62, ‘was like a mom’ to her, adding: ‘We were close off the set and I loved her very much.’

However her ‘favourite’ co-star was Moorehead, who ‘was very much like a grandma to me and I just thought she was beautiful and colorful and fun. And her favorite colour was purple and everything in her dressing room was purple.’

Later in the 1970s, there was a short-lived spin-off series called Tabitha, in which the character was played as an adult by Lisa Hartman.

Nelson Aspen’s next cabaret shows will be held at The Green Room 42 in New York City on June 28 and 30, with guest stars to be announced