Phoebe Cates
Encyclopedia
Phoebe Cates is an American film actress, model
, and entrepreneur
known for her roles in several teen film
s, most notably Fast Times at Ridgemont High
and Gremlins
.
, produced numerous TV specials, often in partnership with Cates' father, and several annual Academy Awards
shows. Her paternal grandparents and maternal grandmother were Russian Jews, and her maternal grandfather was Chinese Filipino
.
Cates attended the Professional Children's School
and the Juilliard School
. When she was ten, she wanted to become a dancer. She eventually got a scholarship
to the School of American Ballet
, but after suffering a serious knee injury at age 15, she gave up her dancing career. She next began a career as a professional model, which was short-lived although successful.
(released 1982, filmed March to May 1981). At the age of 17, she played a starring role and did several fully nude scenes
in the movie, which had a plot very similar to The Blue Lagoon
. Cates later regretted being in the movie and said: "What I learned was never to do a movie like that again." According to her co-star Willie Aames
, "she will have nothing to do with the film. She's really upset about it. She won't do any promotion with me."
Later in 1982, Cates starred in Fast Times at Ridgemont High
which features "the most memorable bikini
-drop in cinema history." She was quoted as saying that she had the most fun in filming that movie. The following year, she was in the sex comedy
Private School
(which co-starred Matthew Modine
and Betsy Russell
), for which she sang on two songs of the film's soundtrack.
Her later film roles were more modest and largely oriented toward younger audiences, such as the two Gremlins
films and the 1991 film Drop Dead Fred
. Her face graced the covers of teen magazines such as Seventeen
, Tiger Beat
, Teen Beat
and others. In 1984, she starred in the TV mini-series Lace. She sought the role of Lili "to get away from a sameness in her movie portrayals." During her audition, she so impressed the writer, that he wanted to hire her there and then. Cates struggled with the portrayal of a bitter movie star because, despite her character's vicious persona, she intended for the audience to sympathize with her. She did not read the novel on which the movie was based because she did not want to have a "fixed image".
In 1985, Cates appeared Off-Broadway
in Rich Relations
, written by David Henry Hwang
of the Second Stage Theatre
. In 1994, she starred in the romantic comedy Princess Caraboo
.
Cates retired from acting in the mid-90s in order to raise her children. She did return in 2001, however, for one film with her family, The Anniversary Party
, as a favor to the director, her best friend, Jennifer Jason Leigh
.
. She also sang the songs Just One Touch and How Do I Let You Know for the Private School
soundtrack.
, whom she had met while auditioning for the part that Meg Tilly ultimately won in The Big Chill
. Kline and Cates make their home in New York City
and have two children, Owen Joseph Kline, born in 1991 (who, in 2005, received rave reviews for his performance in The Squid and the Whale
), and Greta Simone Kline, born in 1994. Owen and Greta appeared in Cates' most recent film, The Anniversary Party
(2001).
In 2005, Cates opened her own boutique called Blue Tree
on New York
's Madison Avenue.
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
, and entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
known for her roles in several teen film
Teen film
Teen films is a film genre targeted at teenagers and young adults in which the plot is based upon the special interests of teenagers, such as coming of age, first love, rebellion, conflict with parents, teen angst, and alienation...
s, most notably Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written by Cameron Crowe and adapted from his 1981 book of the same name...
and Gremlins
Gremlins
Gremlins is a 1984 American horror comedy film directed by Joe Dante, released by Warner Bros. The film is about a young man who receives a strange creature—called a Mogwai—as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, evil monsters. It was followed by a sequel,...
.
Early life
Cates was born Phoebe Belle Cates in New York City, to a family of TV and Broadway production insiders. Her father, Joseph Cates was a major Broadway producer and a pioneering figure in television, who helped create The $64,000 Question. Her late uncle, Gilbert CatesGilbert Cates
Gilbert “Gil” Cates was an Award winning American film director and television producer, director of the Geffen Playhouse, and founding dean of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television...
, produced numerous TV specials, often in partnership with Cates' father, and several annual Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
shows. Her paternal grandparents and maternal grandmother were Russian Jews, and her maternal grandfather was Chinese Filipino
Chinese Filipino
A Chinese Filipino derived from two words: "Tsino" and "Pinoy" ) is a Philippine national of Chinese ethnicity but born/raised in the Philippines....
.
Cates attended the Professional Children's School
Professional Children's School
Professional Children's School is a not for profit, college preparatory school that was founded in New York City in 1914 to provide an education to young people working on the New York stage, in Vaudeville, or "on the road."-History:...
and the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
. When she was ten, she wanted to become a dancer. She eventually got a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
to the School of American Ballet
School of American Ballet
The School of American Ballet is one of the most famous classical ballet schools in the world and is the associate school of the New York City Ballet, a leading international ballet company based at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. The school trains students from the...
, but after suffering a serious knee injury at age 15, she gave up her dancing career. She next began a career as a professional model, which was short-lived although successful.
Acting career
After ending her modeling career, Cates decided upon acting. Although her father was an actor as well, he was not enthusiastic about his daughter's becoming an actress. Cates' movie debut was in ParadiseParadise (1982 film)
Paradise is a 1982 English language romance and adventure film starring Phoebe Cates and Willie Aames, written and directed by Stuart Gillard. The original music score was composed by Paul Hoffert with the theme song sung by Phoebe Cates....
(released 1982, filmed March to May 1981). At the age of 17, she played a starring role and did several fully nude scenes
Nudity in film
Nudity in film is any presentation in motion pictures of people while naked or wearing less clothing than contemporary norms consider modest. Many actors and actresses have appeared nude, or exposing parts of their bodies or dressed in ways considered provocative by contemporary standards at some...
in the movie, which had a plot very similar to The Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon (1980 film)
The Blue Lagoon is a 1980 American romance and adventure film directed by Randal Kleiser. The screenplay by Douglas Day Stewart was based on the novel The Blue Lagoon by Henry De Vere Stacpoole. The film stars Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins...
. Cates later regretted being in the movie and said: "What I learned was never to do a movie like that again." According to her co-star Willie Aames
Willie Aames
Willie Aames is an American actor, film and television director, television producer, and screenwriter. He played Tommy Bradford on the 1970s’ Eight Is Enough and Buddy Lembeck on the 1980s’ Charles in Charge.-Early life:...
, "she will have nothing to do with the film. She's really upset about it. She won't do any promotion with me."
Later in 1982, Cates starred in Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written by Cameron Crowe and adapted from his 1981 book of the same name...
which features "the most memorable bikini
Bikini
The bikini is typically a women's two-piece swimsuit. One part of the attire covers the breasts and the other part covers the crotch and part of or the entire buttocks, leaving an uncovered area between the two. Merriam–Webster describes the bikini as "a woman's scanty two-piece bathing suit" or "a...
-drop in cinema history." She was quoted as saying that she had the most fun in filming that movie. The following year, she was in the sex comedy
Sex comedy
Sex comedy is a term for comedy movies with sexual content usually referring to those made in the United Kingdom in the mid 1970s. They may range from comic pornographic films like the Confessions series to relatively innocent comedies that include jokes about sex and other sexual related humour,...
Private School
Private School (film)
Private School is a 1983 teen oriented sex comedy film, directed by Noel Black.-Cast :* Phoebe Cates as Christine Ramsey* Betsy Russell as Jordan Leigh-Jenson* Matthew Modine as Jim Green...
(which co-starred Matthew Modine
Matthew Modine
Matthew Avery Modine is an award-winning American actor. His film roles include Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, the title character in Alan Parker's Birdy, high school wrestler Louden Swain in Vision Quest, football star turned spy Alec McCall in Funky Monkey and the...
and Betsy Russell
Betsy Russell
Betsy Russell is an American actress who is best known for her role in Private School, and as Jill Tuck, the ex-wife of the Jigsaw Killer in the Saw film series.-Early life:...
), for which she sang on two songs of the film's soundtrack.
Her later film roles were more modest and largely oriented toward younger audiences, such as the two Gremlins
Gremlins
Gremlins is a 1984 American horror comedy film directed by Joe Dante, released by Warner Bros. The film is about a young man who receives a strange creature—called a Mogwai—as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, evil monsters. It was followed by a sequel,...
films and the 1991 film Drop Dead Fred
Drop Dead Fred
Drop Dead Fred is a 1991 American fantasy dramedy film directed by Ate de Jong, produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films and released and distributed by New Line Cinema...
. Her face graced the covers of teen magazines such as Seventeen
Seventeen (magazine)
Seventeen is an American magazine for teenagers. It was first published in September 1944 by Walter Annenberg's Triangle Publications. News Corporation bought Triangle in 1988, and sold Seventeen to K-III Communications in 1991. Primedia sold the magazine to Hearst in 2003. It is still in the...
, Tiger Beat
Tiger Beat
Tiger Beat is an American fan magazine marketed primarily to adolescent girls. It is currently published by Laufer Media, Inc. of Los Angeles, California, which also produces its sister publication, Bop....
, Teen Beat
Teen Beat
Teen Beat was an American magazine geared towards teenaged readers.First published in August 1976, the magazine was preceded by sister publications 16 Magazine, published in 1956, and Tiger Beat, which was first published in 1965...
and others. In 1984, she starred in the TV mini-series Lace. She sought the role of Lili "to get away from a sameness in her movie portrayals." During her audition, she so impressed the writer, that he wanted to hire her there and then. Cates struggled with the portrayal of a bitter movie star because, despite her character's vicious persona, she intended for the audience to sympathize with her. She did not read the novel on which the movie was based because she did not want to have a "fixed image".
In 1985, Cates appeared Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
in Rich Relations
Rich Relations
Rich Relations is a 1986 play by American playwright David Henry Hwang. Hwang's first play with all non-Asian characters, it depicts the rich WASP Orr family and the damage within from parent to child, with many religious overtones. The play premiered at the McGinn-Cazale Theatre on April 21, 1986...
, written by David Henry Hwang
David Henry Hwang
David Henry Hwang is an American playwright who has risen to prominence as the preeminent Asian American dramatist in the U.S.He was born in Los Angeles, California and was educated at the Yale School of Drama and Stanford University...
of the Second Stage Theatre
Second Stage Theatre
Second Stage Theatre is an award-winning contemporary Off-Broadway theater company.-Mission:The theatre's mission is to give new life to contemporary American plays and to produce the world premiers of new plays by both established and emerging playwrights...
. In 1994, she starred in the romantic comedy Princess Caraboo
Princess Caraboo (film)
Princess Caraboo is a 1994 British-American historical comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Michael Austin, based on the real-life 19th-century character Princess Caraboo, who passed herself off in British society as an exotic princess who spoke a strange foreign language; she is portrayed...
.
Cates retired from acting in the mid-90s in order to raise her children. She did return in 2001, however, for one film with her family, The Anniversary Party
The Anniversary Party
The Anniversary Party is a 2001 American comedy-drama film written, directed, produced by, and starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming.-Plot:...
, as a favor to the director, her best friend, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Jennifer Jason Leigh is an American film and stage actress, best known for her roles in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Single White Female, Last Exit to Brooklyn, Georgia and Short Cuts...
.
Music career
Cates sang the title song (of the same name) for the film ParadiseParadise (1982 film)
Paradise is a 1982 English language romance and adventure film starring Phoebe Cates and Willie Aames, written and directed by Stuart Gillard. The original music score was composed by Paul Hoffert with the theme song sung by Phoebe Cates....
. She also sang the songs Just One Touch and How Do I Let You Know for the Private School
Private School (film)
Private School is a 1983 teen oriented sex comedy film, directed by Noel Black.-Cast :* Phoebe Cates as Christine Ramsey* Betsy Russell as Jordan Leigh-Jenson* Matthew Modine as Jim Green...
soundtrack.
Personal life
In 1989, Cates married actor Kevin KlineKevin Kline
Kevin Delaney Kline is an American theatre, voice, film actor and comedian. He has won an Academy Award and two Tony Awards, and has been nominated for five Golden Globe Awards, two BAFTA Awards and an Emmy Award.- Early life :...
, whom she had met while auditioning for the part that Meg Tilly ultimately won in The Big Chill
The Big Chill (film)
The Big Chill is a 1983 American comedy-drama film directed by Lawrence Kasdan, starring Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly, and JoBeth Williams. It is about a group of baby boomer college friends who reunite briefly after 15 years due to...
. Kline and Cates make their home in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and have two children, Owen Joseph Kline, born in 1991 (who, in 2005, received rave reviews for his performance in The Squid and the Whale
The Squid and the Whale
The Squid and the Whale is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Noah Baumbach and produced by Wes Anderson. It tells the semi-autobiographical story of two boys in Brooklyn dealing with their parents' divorce in the 1980s. The film is named after a giant squid and sperm whale diorama...
), and Greta Simone Kline, born in 1994. Owen and Greta appeared in Cates' most recent film, The Anniversary Party
The Anniversary Party
The Anniversary Party is a 2001 American comedy-drama film written, directed, produced by, and starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming.-Plot:...
(2001).
In 2005, Cates opened her own boutique called Blue Tree
Blue Tree
Blue Tree is a boutique in the Upper East Side of New York City, which was opened by actress Phoebe Cates.The store contains a wide variety of merchandise, some of which is priced for affluent customers, such as a 19th century Fred Leighton enamel and pearl necklace which costs $35,000, and some of...
on New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's Madison Avenue.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | |
| 1982 | Paradise Paradise (1982 film) Paradise is a 1982 English language romance and adventure film starring Phoebe Cates and Willie Aames, written and directed by Stuart Gillard. The original music score was composed by Paul Hoffert with the theme song sung by Phoebe Cates.... |
Sarah | |
| Fast Times at Ridgemont High Fast Times at Ridgemont High Fast Times at Ridgemont High is a 1982 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written by Cameron Crowe and adapted from his 1981 book of the same name... |
Linda Barrett | ||
| 1983 | Private School Private School (film) Private School is a 1983 teen oriented sex comedy film, directed by Noel Black.-Cast :* Phoebe Cates as Christine Ramsey* Betsy Russell as Jordan Leigh-Jenson* Matthew Modine as Jim Green... |
Christine Ramsey | |
| 1984 | Gremlins Gremlins Gremlins is a 1984 American horror comedy film directed by Joe Dante, released by Warner Bros. The film is about a young man who receives a strange creature—called a Mogwai—as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, evil monsters. It was followed by a sequel,... |
Kate Beringer | |
| 1987 | Date with an Angel Date with an Angel Date with an Angel is an American film which was released in 1987, starring Emmanuelle Béart, Phoebe Cates and Michael E. Knight. The romantic fantasy/comedy was an updated reworking of the 1942 film I Married an Angel and released by De Laurentiis Entertainment Group. The film was written and... |
Patricia 'Patty' Winston | |
| 1988 | Bright Lights, Big City Bright Lights, Big City (film) Bright Lights, Big City is a 1988 drama film starring Michael J. Fox, Kiefer Sutherland and Phoebe Cates, based on the novel of the same name by Jay McInerney. It was the last film directed by James Bridges before his death in 1993.-Plot:... |
Amanda Conway | |
| 1989 | Shag Shag (1989 film) Shag is a 1989 comedy film starring Bridget Fonda, Phoebe Cates, Annabeth Gish, Page Hannah, Jeff Yagher and Scott Coffey. The film features Carolina shag dancing and was produced in cooperation with the North Carolina Film Commission. The soundtrack album was on Sire/Warner Bros... |
Carson McBride | |
| Heart of Dixie Heart of Dixie Heart of Dixie is a 1989 drama film adaptation of the 1976 novel Heartbreak Hotel by Anne Rivers Siddons and directed by Martin Davidson... |
Aiken Reed | ||
| 1990 | I Love You to Death I Love You to Death I Love You to Death is a 1990 American dark comedy film directed by Lawrence Kasdan. It is loosely based on an attempted murder that happened in 1984, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where Frances Toto repeatedly tried to kill her husband, Anthony... |
Joey's Girl at Disco (uncredited) | |
| Gremlins 2: The New Batch Gremlins 2: The New Batch Gremlins 2: The New Batch is a 1990 American horror comedy film, and the sequel to Gremlins . It was directed by Joe Dante and written by Charles S. Haas, with creature designs by Rick Baker... |
Kate Beringer | ||
| 1991 | Drop Dead Fred Drop Dead Fred Drop Dead Fred is a 1991 American fantasy dramedy film directed by Ate de Jong, produced by PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and Working Title Films and released and distributed by New Line Cinema... |
Elizabeth 'Lizzie' Cronin | |
| 1993 | Bodies, Rest & Motion Bodies, Rest & Motion Bodies, Rest & Motion is a 1993 American drama film directed by Michael Steinberg. It screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Phoebe Cates - Carol* Bridget Fonda - Beth* Tim Roth - Nick* Eric Stoltz - Sid... |
Carol | |
| 1994 | Princess Caraboo Princess Caraboo (film) Princess Caraboo is a 1994 British-American historical comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Michael Austin, based on the real-life 19th-century character Princess Caraboo, who passed herself off in British society as an exotic princess who spoke a strange foreign language; she is portrayed... |
Princess Caraboo/Mary Baker Princess Caraboo Mary Baker was a noted impostor who went by the name Princess Caraboo. She pretended to be from a faraway island and fooled a British town for some months.-Biography:... |
|
| 2001 | The Anniversary Party The Anniversary Party The Anniversary Party is a 2001 American comedy-drama film written, directed, produced by, and starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alan Cumming.-Plot:... |
Sophia Gold | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | |
| 1983 | Baby Sister Baby Sister (film) Baby Sister is a 1983 television film directed by Steven Hilliard Stern. The film, which stars Phoebe Cates, Ted Wass and Pamela Bellwood, centers on a 19-year-old girl who starts an affair with her older sister's boyfriend.-Plot:... (TV movie) |
Annie Burroughs | |
| 1984 | Lace (miniseries) | Elizabeth 'Lili' Lace | |
| 1985 | Lace II (miniseries) | Elizabeth 'Lili' Lace | |
External links
- Blue Tree Cates' NY boutique website