Phoebe Cates — Biography
Phoebe Belle Cates Kline is a former American actress celebrated for her performances in notable films like Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), Gremlins (1984), Drop Dead Fred (1991), and Princess Caraboo (1994). As a young model, Cates graced the cover of Seventeen magazine four times, beginning with the April 1979 edition, and also featured in its editorial content during 1979 and 1980. However, feeling unfulfilled in modeling, she opted to venture into acting. Her first role came in the film Paradise (1982) after a screen test in New York. Although she had reservations regarding the nudity involved in the role, her father urged her to accept the opportunity. That same year, she gained widespread attention in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), where Rolling Stone noted her performance included "the most memorable bikini-drop in cinema history."
Cates appeared in the comedy Private School (1983), acting alongside Matthew Modine and Betsy Russell, and contributed to two songs featured in the film's soundtrack: "Just One Touch" and "How Do I Let You Know." In 1984, she starred in the television mini-series Lace, based on a novel by Shirley Conran, in the character of Lili, aiming to break away from the typecasting she experienced in films. Later that same year, she shared the screen in the blockbuster Gremlins, produced by Steven Spielberg, which became the highest-grossing movie of her career. She later reprised her role as Kate Beringer in the sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch. Additionally, Cates made her stage debut in June 1984 with the Off-Broadway play The Nest of the Wood Grouse, a comedy written by Soviet playwright Viktor Rozov, staged at the Joseph Papp Public Theater.
Cates remained active in films throughout the early 1990s, often in supporting roles or ensemble casts, with credits including 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), the latter three featuring Bridget Fonda. She chose to step away from acting in 2001. In 2015, she lent her voice to her Gremlins character Kate Beringer for the video game Lego Dimensions. Cates has Ashkenazi Jewish, Chinese, and Filipina heritage and has been married to actor Kevin Kline since 1989.
Cates appeared in the comedy Private School (1983), acting alongside Matthew Modine and Betsy Russell, and contributed to two songs featured in the film's soundtrack: "Just One Touch" and "How Do I Let You Know." In 1984, she starred in the television mini-series Lace, based on a novel by Shirley Conran, in the character of Lili, aiming to break away from the typecasting she experienced in films. Later that same year, she shared the screen in the blockbuster Gremlins, produced by Steven Spielberg, which became the highest-grossing movie of her career. She later reprised her role as Kate Beringer in the sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch. Additionally, Cates made her stage debut in June 1984 with the Off-Broadway play The Nest of the Wood Grouse, a comedy written by Soviet playwright Viktor Rozov, staged at the Joseph Papp Public Theater.
Cates remained active in films throughout the early 1990s, often in supporting roles or ensemble casts, with credits including 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), the latter three featuring Bridget Fonda. She chose to step away from acting in 2001. In 2015, she lent her voice to her Gremlins character Kate Beringer for the video game Lego Dimensions. Cates has Ashkenazi Jewish, Chinese, and Filipina heritage and has been married to actor Kevin Kline since 1989.
