Phoebe Cates facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Phoebe Cates
Cates in 2009
Born	Phoebe Belle Cates (1963-07-16) July 16, 1963 (age 61) New York City, U.S.
Other names	Phoebe Cates Kline
Alma mater	Professional Children's School Juilliard School
Occupation	Actress model
Years active	1982–1994, 2001, 2015
Known for	Fast Times at Ridgemont High Gremlins Gremlins 2: The New Batch Private School Drop Dead Fred Princess Caraboo Paradise
Spouse(s)	Kevin Kline ​ (m. 1989)​
Children	Owen Kline Greta Kline
Relatives	Gilbert Cates (uncle), Gil Cates Jr. (cousin)

Phoebe Belle Cates Kline (born July 16, 1963) is an American retired actress. She is famous for her roles in movies like Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), Gremlins (1984), and Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990). She also appeared in Drop Dead Fred (1991) and Princess Caraboo (1994).

Early Life and Education

Phoebe Cates was born in New York City on July 16, 1963. Her family had strong connections to television and Broadway shows. Her father, Joseph Cates, was a well-known Broadway producer. He also helped create the TV show The $64,000 Question. Her uncle, Gilbert Cates, produced many TV specials, including the annual Academy Awards shows.

Phoebe has a mixed background. Her father and her grandmother on her mother's side were of Russian Jewish descent. Her grandfather on her mother's side was Chinese-Filipino. Her mother was born in Shanghai, China.

Phoebe went to the Professional Children's School and the Juilliard School. When she was ten, she started modeling. She appeared in Seventeen and other magazines for teens. Later, she wanted to be a dancer. She even received a scholarship to the School of American Ballet. However, she had to stop dancing at age 14 because of a knee injury. After that, she had a successful but short career as a model. Phoebe said she did not enjoy modeling much. She felt it was repetitive and she only did it for the money.

Acting Career

As a teen model, Phoebe Cates was on the cover of Seventeen magazine four times. Her first cover was in April 1979.

Phoebe was not happy with modeling, so she decided to try acting. She got her first movie role in Paradise (1982) after an audition in New York. This movie was filmed in Israel in 1981. She also sang the theme song for the film. She later said she regretted being in the movie.

Later in 1982, Cates starred in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. She said filming this movie was "the most fun." The next year, she was in the comedy Private School (1983). She sang two songs on the film's soundtrack.

In 1984, Phoebe starred in the TV mini-series Lace. She played the role of Lili. She also appeared in the sequel mini-series Lace II.

In the summer of 1984, Cates co-starred in the popular movie Gremlins. This film was a big success and is the highest-grossing movie of her career. She played her character, Kate Beringer, again in the sequel Gremlins 2: The New Batch.

Phoebe also performed on stage. In June 1984, she made her stage debut in an Off-Broadway play called The Nest of the Wood Grouse. She said she felt a new freedom in acting while doing the play. She also appeared in other Off-Broadway plays. In December 1989, she made her Broadway debut in The Tenth Man.

In 1988, Cates mentioned that there were not many good movie roles for women. She felt that theater offered many more good roles. She said she enjoyed theater the most.

Phoebe continued to appear in films through the early 1990s. These included Date with an Angel (1987), Bright Lights, Big City (1988), Heart of Dixie (1989), Shag (1989), Drop Dead Fred (1991), and Bodies, Rest & Motion (1993).

In 1994, Cates starred in the comedy-drama Princess Caraboo with her husband, Kevin Kline. This was her last film before she decided to focus on raising her children.

In 2001, Phoebe briefly returned to acting for one movie, The Anniversary Party. She did this as a favor for her friend and former co-star, Jennifer Jason Leigh, who directed the film. In 2015, Cates provided the voice for her Gremlins character, Kate Beringer, in the video game Lego Dimensions.

Personal Life

In 1983, Phoebe Cates met actor Kevin Kline during an audition. They started dating two years later. They got married in New York on March 5, 1989. After marrying, she changed her name to Phoebe Cates Kline. They moved to the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York. There, they raised their two children: son Owen Joseph Kline (born 1991) and daughter Greta Kline (born 1994).

Owen and Greta appeared with their parents in the 2001 movie The Anniversary Party. Owen also acted in the 2005 film The Squid and the Whale. He later directed his own movie, Funny Pages. Greta is the lead singer of the band Frankie Cosmos.

In 2005, Phoebe Cates opened her own shop called Blue Tree. It is a boutique located on Madison Avenue in New York City.

Filmography

Film and Television Roles

Cates and Kevin Kline at an after party for the 1989 Academy Awards

Video Games

See also

In Spanish: Phoebe Cates para niños