People frequently think of the 1980s when they hear the name Phoebe Cates. As Kate Beringer in Gremlins or as a character in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, she soon became one of the most famous people of her time. But in the middle of the 1990s, when her career seemed to be going well, Cates discreetly left Hollywood. A lot of people still want to know where she is now.
Life as a kid and an artistic background
Phoebe Belle Cates was born in New York City on July 16, 1963. Her uncle Joseph Katz worked on Broadway shows, and her family spent a lot of time with artists like Andy Warhol. Her family was quite creative. She came from a heterogeneous background, with Chinese-Filipino and Russian-Jewish grandparents. These features made her childhood more culturally rich.
Cates wanted to be a professional dancer at first. She started at the Professional Children’s School, then went to the Hewitt School, and eventually Juilliard. She hurt her knee terribly when she was 15, so she had to stop dancing. She became a model after that, but she said she didn’t really like it and just did it for the money.
Roles in movies that changed the rules
She made her acting debut in the movie Paradise in 1982. She later said that the movie wasn’t her favorite, but it did help her get forward. That year, she gained famous for playing Linda Barrett in Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
After then, Cates’ career really took off. She attended to Private School (1983) and became famous for playing the brave and charming Kate Beringer in Gremlins (1984). She played the same character again in the sequel from 1990. Date with an Angel (1987), Shag (1989), and Drop Dead Fred (1991) are three additional movies that became cult hits.
The Stage is Love
Cates used to declare that she liked working in theater better than in Hollywood because she thought the roles for women were better there. She has been in a number of off-Broadway musicals before she made her Broadway debut in The Tenth Man. She once said that she only felt entirely fulfilled as an actor for a short time, which made her even more clear that she didn’t want to spend her whole life in front of the camera.
She moved away from Hollywood after her final big movie role, Princess Caraboo, came out in 1994. Cates quickly chose to stop performing, not because she didn’t have any work, but because she wanted to. She wanted to spend more time with her family.
She tried out for The Big Chill in 1983 and met actor Kevin Kline. They got married in 1989 and have two kids: Owen Joseph Kline in 1991 and Greta Simone Kline in 1994. Greta later became a renowned independent performer and went by the moniker Frankie Cosmos.
After Acting Life
Cates mostly stayed away from Hollywood, but she would go back for tiny work from time to time. Jennifer Jason Leigh, a friend of hers, directed her in The Anniversary Party in 2001. In the 2015 video game Lego Dimensions, she played her Gremlins character again.
Cates discovered a new love for business outside of show business. She started a little business called Blue Tree on Madison Avenue in New York City in 2005. The shop sells books, jewelry, household items, and art, and people in the area love it.
Where She Is Now
Phoebe Cates is in her forties today and lives a tranquil life away from the Hollywood spotlight. She has done a great job of dealing with her early celebrity while also having a full personal life that includes developing her own business, supporting the arts, and raising a family. People who meet her now say she still has the charm and friendliness that made her a successful actress.
A Legacy That Will Last
Many people in the entertainment industry have trouble with what it means to be famous, but Phoebe Cates’ story is different. Instead of attempting to become famous, she selected a new path that focused on family, creativity, and community. People will always remember her from Gremlins, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, or the stage. She is still a big part of pop culture from the 1980s.
Her story shows that being in front of the cameras all the time doesn’t always work out. Sometimes all you need to do is know when to stop and enjoy the small things in life.