Sharon Tate facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sharon Tate
|
|
|---|---|
Publicity photo of Tate in Valley of the Dolls, 1967.
|
|
| Born |
Sharon Marie Tate
January 24, 1943 |
| Died | August 9, 1969 (aged 26) |
| Cause of death | Murder |
| Resting place | Holy Cross Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actress, model |
| Years active | 1961–1969 |
| Spouse(s) | Roman Polanski (m. 1968–1969, her death) |
| Parent(s) | Colonel Paul James Tate Doris Gwendolyn Willett |
Sharon Tate (January 23, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was an American actress and model. She was married to movie director Roman Polanski.
During the 1960s, she played small television roles before appearing in films and was regularly featured in fashion magazines as a model and cover girl. After receiving positive reviews for her comedic and dramatic acting performances, Tate was hailed as one of Hollywood's most promising newcomers.
She made her film debut in 1961 in Barabbas with Anthony Quinn. She was next seen in the 1966 film Eye of the Devil. Her most remembered performance was as Jennifer North in the 1967 classic film, Valley of the Dolls, earning her a Golden Globe Award nomination. Tate's last completed film, 12+1, was released posthumously in 1969.
Contents
Life and career
Sharon Marie Tate was born on January 24, 1943, in Dallas, Texas, the eldest of three daughters to Colonel Paul James Tate, a United States Army officer, and his wife, Doris Gwendolyn (née Willett). The family is of English, Swiss, and French descent. At six months of age, Tate won the "Miss Tiny Tot of Dallas Pageant", but her parents had no show business ambitions for their daughter. Paul Tate was promoted and transferred several times. By the age of 16, Tate had lived in six cities and reportedly found it difficult to maintain friendships. Her family described her as shy and lacking in self-confidence. As an adult, Tate commented that people would misinterpret her shyness as aloofness until they knew her better.
Tate attended South Shaver Elementary in Pasadena, Texas through 1955, Chief Joseph Junior High School (now Chief Joseph Middle School) from September 1955 to June 1958, and Columbia High School (now Richland High School) in Richland, Washington, from September 1958 to October 1959. She attended Irvin High School in El Paso, Texas, from late fall 1959 to April 1960; and Vicenza American High School in Vicenza, Italy, from April 1960 to June 1961. Tate graduated from Vicenza American High School in 1961.
As she matured, she began entering beauty pageants, winning the title of "Miss Richland" in Washington in 1959. She spoke of her ambition to study psychiatry and also stated her intention to compete in the "Miss Washington" pageant in 1960; however, before she could do either, her father received orders to be stationed in Italy.
Tate became interested in the filming of Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man, which was being made nearby with Paul Newman, Susan Strasberg and Richard Beymer, and obtained a part as a film extra. Beymer noticed Tate in the crowd and introduced himself, and the two dated during the production of the film, with Beymer encouraging Tate to pursue a film career.
Later that year, when Barabbas was being filmed near Verona, Tate was once again hired as an extra. Actor Jack Palance was impressed by her appearance and attitude, although her role was too small to judge her talent.
The family returned to the United States in 1962 and Tate moved to Los Angeles, where she contacted Richard Beymer's agent, Harold Gefsky. After their first meeting, Gefsky agreed to represent her, and secured work for her in television and magazine advertisements. In 1963, he introduced her to Martin Ransohoff, director of Filmways, Inc., who signed her to a seven-year contract.
In late 1965, Ransohoff gave Tate her first major role in a motion picture in the film Eye of the Devil, costarring David Niven, Deborah Kerr, Donald Pleasence and David Hemmings.
Tate played Odile, a witch who exerts a mysterious power over a landowner, played by Niven, and his wife, played by Kerr. Although she did not have as many lines as the other actors, Tate's performance was considered crucial to the film. Niven described her as a "great discovery", and Kerr said that, with "a reasonable amount of luck", Tate would be a great success. After filming, Tate remained in London, where she met Roman Polanski.
Tate and Polanski later agreed that neither of them had been impressed by the other when they first met. Polanski was planning The Fearless Vampire Killers, which was being coproduced by Ransohoff, and had decided that he wanted the red-headed actress Jill St. John for the female lead. Ransohoff insisted that Polanski cast Tate and, after meeting with her, Polanski agreed that she would be suitable on the condition that she wore a red wig during filming. The company traveled to Italy for filming, where Tate's fluent Italian proved useful in communicating with the local crew members. A perfectionist, Polanski had little patience with the inexperienced Tate and said in an interview that one scene had required 70 takes before he was satisfied. In addition to directing, Polanski also played one of the main characters, a guileless young man who is intrigued by Tate's character and begins a romance with her. As filming progressed, Polanski praised her performances and her confidence grew. They began a relationship and Tate moved into Polanski's London apartment after filming ended.
In late 1967, Tate and Polanski returned to London and were frequent subjects of newspaper and magazine articles. They were married in Chelsea, London, on January 20, 1968, with considerable publicity. Polanski was dressed in "Edwardian finery" while Tate was attired in a white minidress. The couple moved into Polanski's mews house off Eaton Square in Belgravia, London.
In the summer of 1968, Tate began work on The Wrecking Crew, a comedy in which she played Freya Carlson, an accident-prone spy who was also a romantic interest for star Dean Martin, playing Matt Helm. She performed her own stunts and was taught martial arts by Bruce Lee. The film was successful and brought Tate strong reviews, with many reviewers praising her comedic performance.
Death
.jpg)
On August 9, 1969, Tate and four others were murdered in the home she shared with Polanski while he was in London. In 1994, the house was demolished and a new house was constructed on the site.
Tate's work as an actress has been reassessed since her death, with contemporary film writers and critics, such as Leonard Maltin, describing her potential as a comedian.
In 2019, Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, a Quentin Tarantino film, was released, partly portraying the life of Sharon Tate, played by Margot Robbie.
Images for kids
-
Tate with Jack Palance during the filming of Barabbas (1961).
-
Tate (right, wearing a dark wig) in the 1964 "Giant Jackrabbit" episode of The Beverly Hillbillies with Max Baer, Jr. and Nancy Kulp.
-
Tate in a publicity photograph for Eye of the Devil (1966)
-
Sharon Tate in Valley of the Dolls (1967)
-
Tate in 1967
-
The Tate family burial plot located at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California, in which Tate, her unborn son Paul, mother Doris, and sister Patti are buried.
-
Tate with Vittorio Gassman in a publicity photograph for The Thirteen Chairs (1969).
-
Tate in the poster for The Thirteen Chairs, also known as 12 + 1 (1969).
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Sharon Tate para niños
