Actress Brittany Murphy, known for her roles in films such as "Clueless" and "8 Mile," died after suffering a cardiac arrest at her home, police and hospital officials said. She was 32.Murphy who was pronounced dead in hospital, appeared to have died of natural causes.
The Reuters news agency is reporting that the actress died of a cardiac arrest.
Ashton Kutcher, co-star of the 2003 comedy Just Married, paid tribute to her as a "little piece of sunshine".
The official cause of death may not be determined for some time as toxicology tests are required.
Murphy was pronounced dead at 1004 (1804 GMT) on Sunday at a hospital near Beverly Hills.
She had been taken there after the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call at the Hollywood Hills home she shared with her husband, British screenwriter Simon Monjack.Born in Atlanta, Murphy grew up in New Jersey but moved to Los Angeles with her mother to pursue acting.
"When I asked my mom to move to California, she sold everything and moved out here for me," Murphy once said.
"I was really grateful to have grown up in an environment that was conducive to creating and didn't stifle any of that."
The actress got her start in the sleeper hit Clueless and rose to stardom in 8 Mile alongside rapper Eminem.
Her on-screen roles declined in recent years but Murphy voiced characters for the hit US television series King of the Hill and animated movie Happy Feet.
She is due to appear in Sylvester Stallone's film, The Expendables, set for release next year.
