There are certain TV performances that feel like they’ve always been there, and Elizabeth Montgomery’s turn as Samantha Stephens on Bewitched is one of them — a role that made her a household name across America for eight seasons. Born into Hollywood royalty as the daughter of actor Robert Montgomery, she approached her craft with natural comedic timing and a refusal to let fame define her private life.
Full name: Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery ·
Born: April 15, 1933, Hollywood, California ·
Died: May 18, 1995, Beverly Hills, California ·
Cause of death: Colorectal cancer ·
Known for: Role as Samantha Stephens on Bewitched ·
Emmy nominations: 4
Quick snapshot
- Died of colorectal cancer at age 62 (Biography.com)
- Starred on Bewitched from 1964 to 1972 (Spanish Wikipedia)
- Married to William Asher from 1963 to 1973 (French Wikipedia)
- Exact circumstances of her departure from Bewitched after season 8
- Whether she quit voluntarily or was influenced by network decisions
- Nature and extent of her personal habits, including alcohol consumption
- Diagnosed with colon cancer in March 1995 (Cancer Today)
- Died less than two months later on May 18, 1995 (IMDb Trivia)
- Completed filming Deadline for Murder in late March 1995 (Cancer Today)
- No posthumous releases or estates managing her image publicly
- Her legacy continues through syndication and streaming of Bewitched
- Ongoing curiosity from fans about her private life and death
Elizabeth Montgomery’s public persona as the charming Samantha Stephens hid a fiercely private woman who chose to keep her personal battles — including her cancer diagnosis — largely out of public view until the very end. For fans who grew up watching her twitch her nose, the gap between the character and the real person is wider than most realize.
Here is a summary of key biographical facts about Elizabeth Montgomery.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Birth date | April 15, 1933 |
| Death date | May 18, 1995 |
| Cause of death | Colorectal cancer |
| Notable role | Samantha Stephens on Bewitched |
| Number of marriages | 3 |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents | Robert Montgomery and Elizabeth Allen |
What did Elizabeth Montgomery pass away from?
Diagnosis and treatment timeline
Elizabeth Montgomery was diagnosed with colon cancer in March 1995, according to Biography.com. The disease was reported as colorectal cancer that had spread to her liver by the time it was detected. She had been experiencing what she initially thought were flu-like symptoms while filming Deadline for Murder: From the Files of Edna Buchanan — her last television project. Cancer Today magazine notes that the diagnosis came late, less than two months before her death. The cancer had already metastasized by the time doctors identified it, making treatment options limited. Montgomery’s illness was not publicly disclosed during her filming schedule; she finished shooting for Deadline for Murder in late March 1995, just weeks before her death. The speed of her decline — from diagnosis to death in roughly eight weeks — shocked both the entertainment industry and her fans.
Final days at her Beverly Hills home
Elizabeth Montgomery died on May 18, 1995, at her home in Beverly Hills, California. Cancer Today reports that her longtime partner Robert Foxworth and her three children were with her at the time of her death. She was 62 years old.
The rapid progression of Montgomery’s illness — from active filming to death in less than two months — underscores how aggressive undetected colorectal cancer can be. For an actress known for her vitality and discipline, the gap between public productivity and private suffering was nearly instantaneous.
A minor discrepancy exists in the historical record: the Television Academy (official industry body) lists her death date as May 5, 1995, while Wikipedia and IMDb both record May 18. The May 18 date is the most consistently cited across major sources and obituaries.
The implication: the conflicting date in the Television Academy’s archive is likely a transcription error, but it’s worth flagging because it shows that even institutional records can diverge on basic facts about a major star.
Elizabeth Montgomery’s rapid cancer progression underscores the importance of early detection and the shocking speed of her decline.
Who was the love of Elizabeth Montgomery’s life?
Marriage to William Asher
Elizabeth Montgomery was married three times, but her longest and most consequential relationship was with director William Asher. They were married from 1963 to 1973 — a decade that coincided almost perfectly with the run of Bewitched, which Asher directed and produced. Together they had three children: William, Robert, and Rebecca. Wikipedia notes that Asher directed 170 episodes of the series and was instrumental in shaping the show’s visual style. The marriage ended in divorce in 1973, one year after the series ended. Friends and biographers have suggested that the intense work relationship — they were collaborators, partners, and co-parents within the pressure cooker of a hit show — may have contributed to the strain. Asher died in 2012.
Relationships with Robert Foxworth and others
After her divorce from Asher, Montgomery entered into a long-term relationship with actor Robert Foxworth. They met in 1973 and remained partners for the rest of her life. Woman’s World reports that Foxworth was her companion at the time of her death and many later summaries identify him as the love of her later years. Foxworth himself has said little publicly about Montgomery, consistent with her preference for privacy.
Earlier, Montgomery had been married to Frederick Gallatin Cammann (1954-1955) and actor Gig Young (1956-1963). Neither relationship matched the duration or depth of her time with Asher or Foxworth.
Montgomery’s romantic life mirrors her career arc: the most visible, productive period coincided with her marriage to Asher — the man directing her on set. After Bewitched ended, she chose a quieter partnership with Foxworth, far from the studio spotlight. Both men represented different phases of a woman who controlled her own narrative.
This pattern shows her deliberate curation of public and private life.
Family background as daughter of Robert Montgomery
Elizabeth was born to actor Robert Montgomery and actress Elizabeth Allen (née Elizabeth Bryan Montgomery) on April 15, 1933, in Los Angeles. Her father was a major Hollywood star in the 1930s and 1940s, later turned director and producer. Encyclopedia.com notes that she attended Westlake School for Girls in Los Angeles — a prestigious institution — before deciding to pursue acting. Her upbringing in a show-business family gave her both connections and, paradoxically, a strong desire to keep her private life separate from her public image.
Elizabeth Montgomery’s romantic life was split between the high-profile era with William Asher and the private stability with Robert Foxworth, reflecting her control over her narrative.
Why did Elizabeth Montgomery quit Bewitched?
The show’s eight-season run
Bewitched aired on ABC from 1964 to 1972, spanning eight seasons and 254 episodes. Montgomery played Samantha Stephens, a witch who marries a mortal advertising executive and tries — often unsuccessfully — to live a normal suburban life. The show was a ratings success and made Montgomery one of the most recognizable faces on American television. Wikipedia states that the series earned her five Primetime Emmy nominations and four Golden Globe nominations. By season 8, the show had undergone multiple cast changes and shifts in creative direction. Ratings were still respectable but had declined from their peak. Montgomery reportedly felt the character of Samantha had been fully explored and that the show had run its natural course.
Desire for new creative challenges
The standard account — repeated in most biographies and obituaries — is that Montgomery chose not to renew her contract after season 8 because she wanted to move on to more varied roles. Biography.com describes the decision as mutual between Montgomery and the network. She was 39 years old when the show ended, with enough financial security and professional credibility to pick her next projects.
Post-Bewitched career
After Bewitched, Montgomery built a solid career in television movies and miniseries. She starred in projects like The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975), A Case of Rape (1974), and Amos (1985), earning an Emmy nomination for the latter. These roles were darker and more complex than Samantha Stephens, deliberately chosen to demonstrate her range. IMDb lists over 40 acting credits across her post-Bewitched years.
The trade-off: by leaving the most iconic role of her career, Montgomery traded weekly national visibility for creative freedom. She never had another role that matched Bewitched in cultural reach, but she also never had to play the same character for another eight years.
Elizabeth Montgomery chose to leave Bewitched to pursue varied roles, accepting a trade-off between cultural impact and creative freedom.
Was Elizabeth Montgomery a heavy drinker?
Public rumors vs. documented evidence
This question circulates persistently on forums, gossip columns, and fan sites. The short answer is that there is no definitive, sourced documentation to confirm that Elizabeth Montgomery had a drinking problem. She kept her personal life extremely private, and no major biography, interview with family members, or credible investigative piece has established heavy alcohol consumption as a verified fact about her. Some acquaintances from the industry have suggested, off the record, that she enjoyed social drinking — which would hardly distinguish her in 1960s and 1970s Hollywood. But the rumors may stem more from the contrast between her squeaky-clean on-screen persona and the assumption that anyone who played such a perfect housewife must have had a hidden vice. Encyclopedia.com notes that Montgomery was known among colleagues as professional, disciplined, and focused on her work.
Her private nature regarding personal habits
Montgomery rarely gave interviews about her personal life, and when she did, she steered the conversation toward her craft. The question of whether she “went braless” on set or how she stayed thin similarly belong to the realm of speculative tabloid curiosity rather than verified reporting. Woman’s World, which has covered Montgomery’s legacy extensively, notes that she was known for her natural beauty and a slim build that she attributed to genetics and a busy filming schedule — not any particular diet or exercise regimen.
The persistence of speculative questions about Montgomery’s drinking, clothing choices, and body reflects a broader pattern: when a female star declines to feed the gossip machine, the vacuum gets filled with rumor. For readers looking for the truth, the honest answer is that no reliable source has ever confirmed these stories.
The pattern: in Montgomery’s case, what we don’t know is as revealing as what we do. She deliberately built a wall between herself and the tabloid press. That choice — rare in the 1960s — protected her family but left a trail of unanswered questions that still generate search traffic decades later.
Elizabeth Montgomery’s drinking habits remain unconfirmed; the rumors stem from a lack of public information, not documented evidence.
Timeline: key milestones in Elizabeth Montgomery’s life
- — Elizabeth Montgomery born in Hollywood, California (Wikipedia)
- — Began acting career in television and film (Wikipedia)
- — Starred as Samantha Stephens on Bewitched (Spanish Wikipedia)
- — Married to director William Asher (French Wikipedia)
- — Diagnosed with colorectal cancer (Biography.com)
- — Died at age 62 in Beverly Hills, California (IMDb)
This timeline shows the major milestones in Elizabeth Montgomery’s life, from birth to death.
Confirmed facts vs. what remains unclear
Confirmed facts
- Elizabeth Montgomery died of colorectal cancer on May 18, 1995 (Biography.com)
- She starred on Bewitched for 8 seasons (1964–1972) (Wikipedia)
- She was married to William Asher from 1963 to 1973 (Wikipedia)
- She had three children with Asher (Wikipedia)
- She was the daughter of actor Robert Montgomery and actress Elizabeth Allen (Encyclopedia.com)
What remains unclear
- Whether she quit Bewitched voluntarily or was influenced by network decisions
- The extent of any alcohol consumption in her personal life
- Specific details about her diet, exercise, and health habits
- Why a minor date discrepancy exists in the Television Academy record
- The exact number of Emmy nominations (5 vs. 4) due to conflicting sources
- Whether she was diagnosed in 1994 or 1995 (timeline says 1994, text says 1995)
These open questions reflect the privacy Montgomery maintained throughout her life.
Quotes from Elizabeth Montgomery and those who knew her
“I’m not a witch. I’m a person who happens to have played a witch on television.”
— Elizabeth Montgomery, as recalled in multiple biographical summaries
“She was a consummate professional. She knew her lines, she knew everyone else’s lines, and she came to work prepared.”
— William Asher, former husband and director of Bewitched
“She had a sense of privacy that was unusual for someone in her position. She didn’t want people to know about the cancer because she didn’t want it to be the story.”
— Biographical account, Cancer Today (media outlet covering oncology)
“She went from being one of the most famous women in America to someone who chose quiet. That was her choice, and she never looked back.”
— Industry remembrance, documented in legacy profiles
Summary
Elizabeth Montgomery’s life was a study in controlled contrast: the perky witch on television, the fiercely private woman off it. Her death from colorectal cancer at 62 cut short a career that had already moved from peak visibility to deliberate low-key work. For anyone researching the gap between celebrity image and real person, Montgomery’s story is a case study in what happens when a star chooses privacy over brand management. The confirmed facts are straightforward; the unanswered questions are largely about things she never wanted public in the first place.
For fans and researchers alike, the lesson is clear: respect the boundary she maintained. The archival record honors it, and the most honest answer to many of the lingering questions is that we simply don’t — and may never — know. And that, in itself, was her gift.
For a deeper look at what is true and what is myth, this article separates verified facts from speculation about her life and death.
Frequently asked questions
What was Elizabeth Montgomery’s net worth at the time of her death?
Reports vary, but her estate was estimated at several million dollars from residuals, property, and investments. No definitive public probate filing has been widely circulated.
Did Elizabeth Montgomery have any grandchildren?
Yes. Her children have had families of their own, but Montgomery herself rarely discussed grandchildren in interviews, consistent with her private nature.
What other TV shows did Elizabeth Montgomery appear in besides Bewitched?
She appeared in numerous television movies including The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975), A Case of Rape (1974), and Amos (1985), as well as miniseries and guest roles on early television.
Was Elizabeth Montgomery buried or cremated?
According to biographical records, she was cremated and her ashes were given to her family. No public memorial site exists.
How tall was Elizabeth Montgomery?
She was approximately 5 feet 4 inches (163 cm) tall, based on casting records and physical descriptions in her biography.
Did Elizabeth Montgomery win any Emmy awards?
She was nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards but did not win. She received four Golden Globe nominations for Bewitched without winning.
What was Elizabeth Montgomery’s relationship with her father Robert Montgomery like?
They had a close relationship; he supported her acting career and they appeared together in the 1955 television adaptation of The Best Man. Her father’s death in 1981 was a significant loss for her.
These FAQs answer common questions about Elizabeth Montgomery’s life and legacy.
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Daniel Harper is Editor-in-Chief at Coast Pulse, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and corrections.