How Elizabeth Montgomery Transformed After Bewitched Came To An End

While her nose twitch is undeniably iconic, Elizabeth Montgomery's legacy is bigger than her eight years starring on "Bewitched." Montgomery was not one of those nepo babies whose parents were forgotten by Hollywood. Her dad, Robert Montgomery, was a handsome leading man who shared starring roles with Bette Davis, and later helped launch his daughter's career on his 1950s TV series. Prior to her legendary role on "Bewitched," Montgomery also did guest roles on shows like "The Twilight Zone."

However, after hundreds of episodes portraying Samantha (and occasionally her brunette cousin, Serena) the magic apparently started to wear thin. "If you look at that last season, she's dragging her feet," author Herbie J. Pilato explained to Woman's World. "She's just gone. She's bored out of her skull." Although Montgomery refuted this idea, she was experiencing personal upheaval amid a split with William Asher, the show's main director. They'd been married a decade and had three young kids.. Montgomery ended up quitting the show rather than continuing to work with Asher.

As "Bewitched" ended and led to a forgotten 1970s spinoff, Montgomery pivoted into some pretty edgy roles, including "A Case of Rape," and "Act of Violence." She also took on period pieces, starring alongside Jane Seymour in "The Awakening Land," a TV dramatization of Conrad Richter's westward expansion novels. In a performance that was both edgy and historic, Montgomery starred as Lizzie Borden in a 1975 TV movie. In a bizarre twist, Montgomery was distantly related to the infamous Borden.

In addition to working steadily after she stepped away from "Bewitched," Elizabeth Montgomery soon found love. Although they first met as colleagues, Robert Foxworth was smitten from the start. He apparently won Montgomery over by being unfamiliar with "Bewitched." The couple continued to act together on multiple projects throughout their romance. They were candid about the pros and cons of this arrangement, overcoming the challenges and reveling in a successful partnership. "That's one of the reasons our relationship has survived so long," Foxworth informed UPI in 1992. "We both enjoy a sense of humor and playfulness, which we bring to our work." While Foxworth was long supportive of Montgomery's preference not to marry, she eventually overcame her reluctance in 1993.

Even though her post-"Bewitched" roles were often pretty chilling, Montgomery had a knack for finding humor offscreen. After her portrayal of Lizzie Borden, Montgomery used the movie's gruesome ax as home decor. She also delighted in teasing Foxworth when he got freaked out after she used an ax to stock firewood. 

In her spare time, Montgomery worked with Learning Ally and lent her voice to audiobooks, including "When We Were Very Young" by A.A. Milne. When the "Bewitched" star died in 1995 due to colon cancer, her family revealed her impressive advocacy work, stating, "She has been a longtime supporter of gay and lesbian civil rights, HIV-AIDS causes and animal-rights organizations" (via Women's World). Years later, her family continued supporting AIDS charities in her honor.