Spellbound Facts About Elizabeth Montgomery, TV’s Angelic Enchantress
Elizabeth Montgomery captivated hearts with her wholesome character on Bewitched—but behind the scenes, she was a downright rebel with her fair share of scandal.
1. She Had Secrets
We all know Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha Stephens from the popular TV comedy Bewitched, where she played a typical suburban housewife with a terrible secret. What the world didn’t know then was that Montgomery had even more secrets than her character.
In fact, Montgomery had a long list of husbands and an even longer list of illicit lovers. Yes, behind Montgomery's angelic face, she had her own dark backstory.
2. She Was Born Into Show Biz
Elizabeth Montgomery was born in Los Angeles, California: the buzzing entertainment capital of the world. She also had two show business parents. Her mother was a Broadway actress from Kentucky, and her father was Robert Montgomery—a New Yorker and Academy Award nominee.
Sadly, her parents faced an early tragedy: They lost their first child when she was still an infant. On April 15, 1933, young Elizabeth came bouncing in to fill the hole in their hearts.
They’d lost one child and were now ready to spoil baby Elizabeth rotten.
3. They Spared No Expense
Montgomery's parents spared no expense when it came to their only daughter’s education. They enrolled their darling daughter into two haughty-sounding schools: Westlake School for Girls followed by Spence School. But all this fancy education had a purpose. Her parents were desperate to get their daughter on an academic track and far away from the entertainment industry.
Montgomery, however, had other plans—and brazenly turned her focus to acting, becoming a student at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
4. She Begged For It
Once Montgomery had finished acting school, she wanted to get down to work. She’d already majorly disappointed her parents by throwing herself into show business, but now she needed a big favor from her father. Montgomery hoped to land a spot on her father's TV series, Robert Montgomery Presents.
Though reluctant, he allowed her to have her debut on his show—but he still wasn't happy about ushering his daughter into the world of celebrity. Unfortunately, their fraught relationship would lead to some of Elizabeth Montgomery's unfortunate daddy issues.
