You know that feeling when you flip on a channel and see a twitch of a nose? It’s instant comfort. For many of us, the cast members of Bewitched aren't just names in a credit roll; they’re the people we grew up with during breakfast or after school. But behind that colorful 1960s suburban dream at 1164 Morning Glory Circle, there was a whole lot of real-life drama, some truly tragic endings, and a few of the most brilliant casting gambits in television history.
Elizabeth Montgomery was the engine. Honestly, without her, the show would have been a forgettable gimmick. She played Samantha Stephens with this perfect blend of "I could burn this house down with a thought" and "I’d really rather just make a nice roast beef." It’s easy to forget she also played the dark-haired, mischievous cousin Serena. She wore a wig and used a pseudonym (Pandora Spocks) in the credits for that role. Why? Because she wanted to see if she could fool the audience. It worked for a while.
The Two Darrins: A Casting Crisis That Changed Everything
We have to talk about the Darrin in the room.
Dick York was the original Darrin Stephens. He was a physical comedy genius. Think about the way he used his face—the bulging eyes, the panicked stammers. It was high-energy stuff. But most fans didn't know he was in constant, agonizing pain. During the filming of the 1959 movie They Came to Cordura, York suffered a massive back injury. By the time he was working on Bewitched, he was basically living on painkillers. One day in 1969, during the filming of the episode "Daddy Does His Thing," he literally collapsed on set. He never came back.
Then came Dick Sargent.
The switch was jarring. Some people hated it. Others barely noticed because the writing stayed the same. Sargent played Darrin with a much more "straight man" vibe—less frantic, more annoyed. He’d actually been the producers' first choice for the role years earlier, but he was tied up in another contract. When he finally stepped into York's shoes, the chemistry shifted. Samantha went from being a wife who protected her high-strung husband to a partner who managed a slightly more grounded one.
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Agnes Moorehead and the Art of Being Endora
If Elizabeth Montgomery was the heart, Agnes Moorehead was the lightning.
Moorehead was a powerhouse. She was a radio veteran, an Oscar nominee, and a founding member of Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre. She reportedly didn't even like the pilot script that much. She took the role because she thought it would be a quick paycheck and the show would get canceled. Instead, she became an icon.
Her relationship with the other cast members of Bewitched was professional but a bit intimidating. She was a "capital-A" Actress. She showed up to set in full regalia. Interestingly, she and Dick York were incredibly close. When York had to leave the show, Moorehead was reportedly devastated. She didn't have that same immediate spark with Dick Sargent, which actually played well into the onscreen friction between Endora and "Durwood."
The Supporting Players Who Stole Every Scene
Let’s be real: the neighbors made the show.
Alice Pearce played the original Gladys Kravitz. Her comedic timing was impeccable—that shrill "Abner!" became a national catchphrase. Tragically, Pearce was battling terminal cancer during the first two seasons. She knew she was dying, but she never told the cast. She won an Emmy for the role posthumously. When Sandra Gould took over the part, she leaned harder into the "nosy" aspect, but Pearce’s version had a certain vulnerability that's hard to replicate.
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And then there’s Uncle Arthur. Paul Lynde.
Lynde wasn't a series regular—he only appeared in about ten episodes—but his impact was so massive people remember him as being in every single one. He brought a campy, cynical energy that balanced out the sweetness of the Stephens household. He and Montgomery were actually great friends in real life, which is why their onscreen "witchy" banter felt so authentic.
The Curse of Morning Glory Circle?
You’ve probably heard people talk about a "Bewitched Curse."
People love a dark narrative. They point to the fact that many cast members died relatively young or from similar causes. Elizabeth Montgomery died of colon cancer at 62. Agnes Moorehead died of uterine cancer. Dick Sargent passed from prostate cancer. Alice Pearce, as mentioned, had cancer.
But if you look at the statistics of the era and the size of the cast and crew, it's mostly a sad coincidence. Most of these actors were heavy smokers, which was the norm in the 60s. Instead of a curse, what we actually see is a group of incredibly hardworking professionals who stayed dedicated to a show that, on paper, was just a silly sitcom about magic.
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Why the Magic Hasn't Faded
Looking back at the cast members of Bewitched, it’s clear the show worked because it wasn't actually about magic.
It was a metaphor.
Samantha was a woman with immense power who had to pretend to be "normal" to fit into a patriarchal society. The cast played that tension beautifully. David White, who played Larry Tate, was the perfect representation of the 1960s corporate ladder-climber—always ready to sell out Darrin for a drink and a client.
Even the kids, the Tabithas, had a weird journey. While several sets of twins played the role, Erin Murphy eventually took over and became the face of the next generation of witches. She’s one of the few who has spoken extensively about the warmth on set, debunking some of the grittier rumors about cast infighting.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive deeper into the history of these performers, don't just stick to the reruns. There are ways to see the "real" people behind the characters.
- Watch Elizabeth Montgomery in The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975): She fought hard to shed her "good witch" image, and this Emmy-nominated performance is chilling. It shows the range she was suppressed from using on Bewitched.
- Listen to Old Time Radio (OTR): Agnes Moorehead was the "Queen of Suspense." Find the radio play Sorry, Wrong Number. It’s a masterclass in acting using only a voice.
- Visit the "Bewitched" Statue: If you’re ever in Salem, Massachusetts, there is a bronze statue of Samantha on a broomstick. It’s controversial (some locals think it trivializes the real witch trials), but for fans, it’s a pilgrimage site.
- Check the Credits for "William Asher": He was the director/producer and Montgomery’s husband at the time. Their creative partnership is what gave the show its specific visual style and pacing.
- Read Twitch Upon a Star: This biography by Herbie J. Pilato is widely considered the most factual and well-researched account of Elizabeth Montgomery’s life and the show's production.
The legacy of the Bewitched cast isn't just in the laughs. It’s in the way they navigated a changing Hollywood while creating a world where a little bit of magic was always just a nose-twitch away. They were professionals, eccentrics, and pioneers who turned a "silly" premise into an enduring piece of American culture.