Phoebe Cates starred in several popular films during the 1980s, including Gremlins and Go to Hell, Fred, but she is most famously remembered for her memorable topless scene in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). After stepping away from Hollywood over two decades ago, Cates now enjoys a fulfilling 9-to-5 job.
Born on July 16, 1963, in New York City, Phoebe Belle Cates grew up attending private schools and trained in ballet at Juilliard. Acting runs in her family; her father, Joe Cates, was a producer-director, and her uncle served as president of the Director’s Guild. Both her brother and sister were involved in the arts.
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Phoebe initially pursued dance but had to abandon it due to a knee injury. She started modeling at 14 and graced the cover of Seventeen magazine multiple times. However, she found modeling unfulfilling and sought to explore acting instead.
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“I was doing it for the money”, she reflected on her modeling career. Phoebe eventually connected with her film agent at a Studio 54 party and trained with Robert Ravan, the founder of The Actors’ Circle. “I just knew I didn’t want to go to college. Doing a couple of movies seemed like a great way to avoid it”, she shared in a 1985 interview.
Cates made her acting debut in 1982 in Paradise and quickly gained recognition for her role in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, which became a cultural phenomenon, particularly for its iconic pool scene.
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The film featured a talented cast, including Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Forest Whitaker. Leigh reminisced: “We were so young when we shot it, and then it became a huge hit. It was surreal to hear audiences quoting lines”. In 1982, Phoebe candidly expressed: “In this industry, if a girl wants to get ahead, she has to be willing to take her clothes off”.
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Following her success, Cates starred in American College (1983) and Gremlins (1984). She met actor Kevin Kline while auditioning for The Big Chill and they began dating a couple of years later, eventually marrying in 1989.
The couple welcomed their son, Owen, in 1991 and their daughter, Greta, in 1994. When celebrating their 27th anniversary in 2017, Kline commented on their strong marriage, saying: “We take care of the marriage”.
Despite her flourishing career, Cates chose to step back from acting after starting a family, wanting to ensure one parent was always present for their children. She explained in a 1998 Playboy interview that they agreed to alternate acting jobs.
In 2005, Cates opened Blue Tree, a boutique near Carnegie Hall that sells various items, including clothing and gifts. Today, she works actively in her shop, located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. And yes, Phoebe Cates is still in excellent shape!