Elizabeth Montgomery [movies/tv]

Calvin

“Welcome to Headstones and Microphones where we use AI to step into the past through a researched, first-person simulation of history's most interesting people. I am your host, Calvin. While we’ve added some creative storytelling, our goal is to inspire your own study of these fascinating lives. Now, let’s meet our guest.”

Calvin

We are absolutely spellbound today! Joining us is a woman who defined a generation of television magic and later became the undisputed queen of the TV movie. Please welcome the legendary Elizabeth Montgomery! Elizabeth, it is such a joy to have you here.

White Female Guest

Oh, thank you, Calvin! I’m so happy to share some stories with you and your listeners.

Calvin

We’re thrilled too. Now, for the few people out there who might somehow not know your face or that famous nose-twitch... who are you?

White Female Guest

Well, I’m Elizabeth Montgomery. Most people remember me as Samantha Stephens, the witch who just wanted to be a normal housewife, but I spent about five decades acting on stage, in films, and in dozens of television dramas.

Calvin

A true icon! Let's go back to the very beginning. When and where were you born?

White Female Guest

I was born on April 15, 1933, right in the heart of the movie business—Los Angeles, California.

Calvin

And what was your given name at birth?

White Female Guest

It was Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery.

Calvin

Is there a story behind your birth name?

White Female Guest

My mother was Elizabeth Allen, a stage actress, so I was named after her. It was a bit of a family tradition! My father was Robert Montgomery, who was a huge film star at the time, so I definitely grew up in a house full of "Elizabeths" and "Roberts."

Calvin

I can imagine! What was your hometown of Los Angeles like for you growing up?

White Female Guest

You know, it’s funny—people imagine Hollywood kids living this wild, glitzy life, but my younger brother Skip and I were actually kept away from the glare of the spotlight. We lived in Hollywood, but my parents were very protective. It felt quite private and grounded, at least until they divorced when I was seventeen and I moved to New York.

Calvin

That’s a big shift! What was your family life like overall?

White Female Guest

It was a very creative household, as you can imagine. My father was quite a force—an actor, director, and even a producer. My mother was a native of Kentucky and brought that stage background. Growing up with a major film star for a father meant there was always a sense of the craft around us, but they really tried to give us a "normal" upbringing.

Calvin

And what kind of kid were you?

White Female Guest

I think I was a bit more serious and hardworking than people might guess. I attended the Westlake School for Girls in Holmby Hills and later the Spence School in New York. I was always very focused on learning and, eventually, following in those acting footsteps.

Calvin

Did you have any big fears as a child?

White Female Guest

Like many children of my era, I think there was always a bit of a fear of not living up to the family name, especially with such a successful father. But I channeled that into my work.

Calvin

What did you dream of becoming when you were small?

White Female Guest

I think I always knew I’d be an actress. It was in my blood! I didn’t really have a "Plan B." I went straight from school to the Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Calvin

What were some of your favorite activities in school?

White Female Guest

I loved the arts, of course. Anything that allowed for expression. I also enjoyed staying active—later in life, I became quite the dart player! I used to love challenging people to a game of darts.

Calvin

I love that! What was your very first professional job?

White Female Guest

My television debut was actually on my father’s show, "Robert Montgomery Presents," in 1951. The episode was called “Top Secret.” It was a wonderful way to start, working right alongside him.

Calvin

Was there a moment where you realized you were different from everyone else?

White Female Guest

I don’t know if I felt "different," but I certainly realized early on that I had a different drive. I wanted to do the roles people said I shouldn't. The minute someone would say, "Oh God, you could never do that," that was exactly the kind of stuff I wanted to tackle!

Calvin

That’s the spirit! What’s a decision that changed everything for you, but felt small at the time?

White Female Guest

Probably the decision to do a pilot for a little show called "Bewitched" in November of 1963. At the time, it was just another project, a collaboration with my then-husband William Asher. We had no idea it would become the number-one sitcom for years!

Calvin

And that was definitely your biggest break!

White Female Guest

Oh, absolutely. Samantha Stephens changed my life. Though, I must say, my first Broadway show, "Late Love," was a huge moment for me too—it won me a Theater World Award.

Calvin

Before all that success, what were your biggest struggles?

White Female Guest

Just the grind of being a working actress in the 50s. I did dozens of dramatic anthology shows. You’re constantly auditioning and trying to prove you’re more than just "Robert Montgomery’s daughter." I wanted to be seen as a prolific actor in my own right.

Calvin

Did you ever consider quitting?

White Female Guest

Never. I’m a bit too "tough" for that, as some might say! I loved the work too much, even when the schedules were grueling.

Calvin

Speaking of grueling schedules, were there any specific daily habits or routines you felt were essential?

White Female Guest

When I was filming "Bewitched" and had young children, my routine was all about the "children’s hours." I’d be up at 5:30 in the morning, before they even woke up, just to get to the studio. Success for me was finding that balance—making sure I had enough time to really be with my kids when I got home, even if they had to stay up a little later to see me!

Calvin

What job would you have had if fame never happened?

White Female Guest

Honestly, I can’t imagine doing anything else. Maybe something involving the causes I care about, like charity work or advocacy, but acting was always the dream.

Calvin

What was your life like right before the massive fame of "Bewitched"?

White Female Guest

I was a very busy working actress! I had just earned an Emmy nomination for playing a prostitute named Rusty Heller on "The Untouchables." I was doing a lot of gritty, dramatic work, which I loved. People were surprised when I moved into comedy!

Calvin

How did relationships change after you became a household name?

White Female Guest

Success can certainly strain things. My marriage to Bill Asher was a huge partnership—he produced and directed "Bewitched"—but the relentless ambition and the pressures of the industry eventually led us to part ways. We stayed amicable for the children, though.

Calvin

Did all that fame bring you happiness?

White Female Guest

It brought fulfillment, certainly. But happiness for me was always more about the personal moments—my three children, Willy, Robert, and Rebecca, and my later life with Robert Foxworth.

Calvin

What was the downside of being so famous?

White Female Guest

Being typecast! After eight years of Samantha, people expected me to be that sweet witch forever. That’s why I jumped into roles like Lizzie Borden or "A Case of Rape." I wanted to prove I could do the dark stuff, too.

Calvin

What was a common misconception people had about you?

White Female Guest

People thought I was Samantha—always sunny, always ready to solve problems with a twitch of the nose. In reality, I could be quite tough and I had a very dry, sometimes rebellious sense of humor.

Calvin

What was your darkest moment?

White Female Guest

I think the end of my marriage to Bill was very difficult, especially with the rumors and the infidelity that came to light. It was a lot of private pain while trying to keep the show going.

Calvin

Were there any regrets you carried that you were open about?

White Female Guest

I sometimes regretted how "mediocre" television could be as a medium. I always pushed for better writing and more human stories.

Calvin

What’s something people misunderstood about your life?

White Female Guest

That it was all easy! I worked incredibly hard, and I fought for the causes I believed in, like AIDS research and liberal politics, long before it was "fashionable" in Hollywood.

Calvin

Tell me about a time when everything went wrong and how you handled it.

White Female Guest

During the filming of my final movie, "Deadline for Murder," I started feeling quite ill. I didn't want to stop the production, so I just kept working, pushing through the pain. I’ve always been a "work through it" kind of person.

Calvin

You were so dedicated. Did the fame and fortune change your life significantly?

White Female Guest

It gave me a platform. It allowed me to support AmFAR and other charities. It changed my lifestyle, sure, but I tried to keep my children’s lives as grounded as possible, just like my parents did for me.

Calvin

Who had the biggest influence on your life?

White Female Guest

Certainly my father, for the career path, but my children were my biggest inspiration. Everything I did was for them.

Calvin

What was life like in your final years?

White Female Guest

I spent twenty wonderful years with Robert Foxworth. We lived a very happy, quieter life in Beverly Hills. I was still working, still finding roles that challenged me.

Calvin

What were you working on just before you passed away?

White Female Guest

I had just finished "Deadline for Murder." It ended up being one of the highest-rated movies of the year. I was also very active in my volunteer work, which meant a lot to me.

Calvin

When and where did you pass away?

White Female Guest

I passed away on May 18, 1995, at my home in Beverly Hills.

Calvin

And what happened, for those who don't know?

White Female Guest

I had been diagnosed with colon cancer just eight weeks earlier. It happened very quickly.

Calvin

We lost you far too soon. Let’s lighten things up a bit—what’s a random fact about you that most people haven't heard?

White Female Guest

I was a very good dart player! I used to have a dartboard at home and would challenge guests all the time. I also loved to cook, though I wasn't always as "magical" in the kitchen as Samantha!

Calvin

What’s the craziest rumor ever told about you?

White Female Guest

Oh, there were always rumors about rivalries on set, especially when we switched the actors playing Darrin. People loved to invent drama where there wasn't any. Dick York and Dick Sargent were both lovely, gracious men.

Calvin

What was your most unique habit?

White Female Guest

I suppose the nose twitch became a bit of a habit! People would ask me to do it everywhere I went. I’d usually oblige with a smile.

Calvin

What was your favorite food?

White Female Guest

I loved simple, well-prepared meals. I didn't have one specific "favorite," but I enjoyed dining out with friends in Los Angeles.

Calvin

Did you have a favorite book?

White Female Guest

I was always a big reader of scripts, of course, but I enjoyed stories that were "very human" and humanitarian in nature.

Calvin

Did you have any known rivalries?

White Female Guest

Not really! I found most of my colleagues, like George Kennedy or Hal Holbrook, to be incredibly gracious. I preferred making friends to making enemies.

Calvin

Tell us a story nobody talks about.

White Female Guest

People forget that I narrated the documentary "The Panama Deception," which actually won an Academy Award! It was a very serious project about US foreign policy, quite a departure from my sitcom days.

Calvin

That’s impressive! Any funny behind-the-scenes moments?

White Female Guest

On "Bewitched," the special effects were often quite low-tech. I’d have to stand perfectly still for ages while they moved furniture around to make it look like magic. It was quite a workout for the core!

Calvin

Did you ever prank someone?

White Female Guest

I had a bit of a mischievous streak! I loved to surprise people with a bit of that "Samantha" sass when they least expected it.

Calvin

What was the most outlandish purchase you made?

White Female Guest

I wasn't a very "outlandish" person with money. I preferred spending on my home and my family's comfort.

Calvin

What advice would you give people chasing success today?

White Female Guest

Don't try to mold yourself after someone else. Find out what "your show" wants to be—who you truly are—and just keep doing it. And don't let anyone tell you that you can't do the "tough" stuff!

Calvin

That is wonderful advice. Elizabeth, before we sign off, do you have any closing remarks or stories you’d like to share with our listeners?

White Female Guest

Just that I hope people remember me not just for the nose twitch, but for the heart I put into every role. It’s been a joy to "visit" with you all. Thank you so much for having me, Calvin. It was truly a treat!

Calvin

The pleasure was all ours. Thank you, Elizabeth!

Calvin

What an enchanting conversation with the one and only Elizabeth Montgomery. From the glitz of old Hollywood to the "magic" of 1960s television, she truly was a force of nature and a pioneer for women in the industry. And that wraps up another conversation from beyond the grave. Thanks for joining us on The Headstones and Microphones Podcast. Remember—legends may die, but their stories never do. Please help spread the word by sharing and following the pod.