Elizabeth Montgomery's Troubling Double Life Finally Comes To Light
With a twitch of the nose and the flick of the wrist, everyone fell in love with Samantha Stephens on Bewitched. But what most people don't know is that Elizabeth Montgomery's life was much darker than her magical persona would suggest. From a traumatic childhood to messy romances, Montgomery wasn't one for staying out of the drama. There was no Hollywood magic that could make her issues disappear; all she could do was hope the public never found out.
Childhood Pain
When Montgomery was just a teenager, her parents went through a messy divorce. That's hard on any kid, but she carried that pain with her for the rest of her career. It often surfaced at her most vulnerable moments.
Dad's Footsteps
Her father, Robert Montgomery, had been a successful actor himself and was extremely hard on Elizabeth when she followed in his footsteps. She persisted anyway and began taking small roles after graduating.
TV Start
Montgomery's little-known early work included small parts on popular TV shows like The Twilight Zone, Studio One, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Hitchcock himself recognized her talent and tried to snag her for one of his biggest films.
Turning Down Hitchcock
Hoping to round out his cast, Hitchcock offered Montgomery a role in his psychological thriller Marnie, opposite Sean Connery. She wasn't available. As it turned out, her personal life was becoming horrific enough on its own.
