When you hear the name Elizabeth Montgomery, you can’t help but think of the small twinkle that went with her character’s nose twitch on Bewitched.

In the 1960s, the lovely actress rose to prominence as a household name and global sensation; nevertheless, she died suddenly in 1995. At Newsner, we’ve written
about a lot of gorgeous and brilliant women, but Elizabeth Montgomery caught my heart right away. Most film and television performers and actresses require cosmetics and hair experts to make them appear nice; Elizabeth did not. She had a natural beauty, and I enjoyed seeing her on Bewitched.

So, what happened to Elizabeth Montgomery after she played Samantha Stephens in the classic 1960s sitcom?

The great actress would have turned 91 in 2024, but let us look back at her film and television career before her sad death in 1995. When you hear the name Elizabeth Montgomery, you can’t help but think of the small twinkle that went with her character’s nose twitch on Bewitched.

In the 1960s, the lovely actress rose to prominence as a household name and global sensation; nevertheless, she died suddenly in 1995. At Newsner, we’ve written about a lot of gorgeous and brilliant women, but Elizabeth Montgomery caught my heart right away.

Most film and television performers and actresses require cosmetics and hair experts to make them appear nice; Elizabeth did not. She had a natural beauty, and I enjoyed seeing her on Bewitched.

So, what happened to Elizabeth Montgomery after she played Samantha Stephens in the classic 1960s sitcom?

The outstanding actress would have turned 91 in 2024, but let us look back at her film and television career before her sad death in 1995. Elizabeth Montgomery was born in Los Angeles on April 15, 1933, to a Broadway actress and film star, so acting was in her blood from birth.

“Dad says I often climbed on his lap after dinner and said, ‘I’m going to be an actress when I grow up.'” I’m not sure if he supported me or not, but he said he’d humor me and tell me to wait and see what occurred when I grew up,” Elizabeth stated in a 1954 interview with the Los Angeles Times.

Her father, Robert Montgomery, was a well-known and famous actor.

“I’ll be honest and admit that Daddy did help me get a break in television, and I’m really thankful for his aid and guidance. He’s my harshest critic, but he’s also a genuine friend and loving parent.”

Elizabeth attended school in California before transferring to New York City and attending the Spence School. After graduation, she studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts for three years.

When she was a youngster, she made her television debut on her father’s show, Robert Montgomery Presents. She continued to make appearances on his show.

By 1953, Elizabeth had made her Broadway debut in Late Love. Two years later, in 1955, she made her film debut with The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell, and two years later, she returned to Broadway.

As her career progressed, Elizabeth fell in love, but it did not endure.

She married Frederick Gallatin Cammann in 1954, but they divorced the following year. She married award-winning actor Gig Young in 1956, and the couple separated in 1963.

While filming Johnny Cool, Elizabeth met William Asher, a filmmaker and television producer. Not only would he help her professionally, but the two also had a love connection.

They got married in 1963 and have three children together.

Elizabeth Montgomery appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Loretta Young Show, The Untouchables, and The Twilight Zone, but her most well-known performance was as the nose-twitching witch Samantha Stephens on Bewitched.

The spooky comedy, which ran for eight seasons from 1964 to 1972, catapulted Elizabeth into the spotlight.

Samantha quickly became a household name, and everyone attempted to emulate her famed nose twitch.

“I’d never considered doing a series because I loved the concept of choosing a screenplay I liked and a character I believed I could play for an hour. In a series, you live with one character day after day, and you only hope it isn’t one that drives you insane,” Elizabeth told the Associated Press in 1965.

She received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations during her stint on the show.

Following Bewitched’s run and the dissolution of her marriage to Asher, Elizabeth went on to feature in a number of made-for-television films, many of which contrasted sharply with her prior role on Bewitched.

She appeared in 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 Edna Buchanan’s Files (1995).

She met Robert Foxworth while working on the film Mrs. Sundance. The couple remained together until Elizabeth’s death in 1995, although they did not marry until 1993.

“Before Jane Seymour, Lindsay Wagner, and 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,” Herbie J. Pilato, author of two books on Elizabeth Montgomery, stated.

Unfortunately, her career was cut short on May 18, 1995, following a lengthy fight with colon cancer.

According to the Los Angeles Times, her family said that she died at the age of 57; however, numerous sources cited her birth year as 1933, putting her at the age of 62.

The actress had been battling the disease for years and thought she was cancer-free, but she fell ill while filming Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan.

By the time she could seek medical attention in March 1995, it was already too late. The cancer has spread to her liver.

Elizabeth died while sleeping at home in Beverly Hills, surrounded by her husband and three children. One month following her death, a memorial service was conducted at Beverly Hills’ Canon Theatre. Herbie Hancock, a well-known jazz musician, performed music, while author Dominick Dunne, Elizabeth’s lifelong friend, discussed their early acquaintance when they resided in New York City.

The Bewitched star’s corpse was cremated in Los Angeles’ Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery.

In a 1992 interview, Elizabeth stated that she had played a range of personalities during her career.

“They all have different ‘feels’ to them, which is probably why I did them. I get messages from people expressing that one of their favorite aspects of what I’ve done since ‘Bewitched’ is that they never know what I’ll do next.”

Looking back at images from her time on Bewitched transports us back to a simpler, more innocent period.

Elizabeth’s whimsical charm and signature nose twitch transport us to a time when enchantment was effortlessly accessible. Elizabeth’s smile gave warmth and joy to countless families, and her legacy still shines brightly today, reminding us of television’s golden period.

“Elizabeth was the least arrogant star I’ve ever met,” Herbie J. Pilato, author of Twitch Upon a Star and executive producer of the documentary Elizabeth Montgomery: A Bewitched Life, told Closer in April 2023. “She channeled that down-to-earthiness into Samantha, and we all loved her.”

She was such a naturally beautiful gal! It’s unfortunate that she left us so quickly.