Phoebe Cates

Phoebe Belle Cates Kline (born July 16, 1963) is an American former actress, known primarily for her roles in films such as Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), Gremlins (1984), Drop Dead Fred (1991) and Princess Caraboo (1994). Early life Cates was born on July 16, 1963, in New York City, to a family of television and Broadway production insiders. She is the daughter of Lily and Joseph Cates (originally Joseph Katz), who was a major Broadway producer and a pioneering figure in television, and who helped create The $64,000 Question. Her uncle, Gilbert Cates, produced numerous television specials, often in partnership with Cates's father, as well as several annual Academy Awards shows. Her father was Jewish and her mother was Catholic. Cates is of Eurasian or mixed European and Asian descent. Her mother was born in Shanghai, China to a family of Chinese-Filipino heritage. Cates's father is American and from Manhattan. Cates attended the Professional Children's School, and the Juilliard School. At age ten, she started modeling, appearing in Seventeen and other teen-oriented magazines. A few years later, she wanted to become a dancer, and eventually received a scholarship to the School of American Ballet, but quit after a knee injury at age 14. She then began a short, successful career as a model. She said that she disliked the industry: "It was just the same thing, over and over. After a while, I did it solely for the money." Career As a teen model, Cates appeared on the cover of Seventeen magazine four times, first on the April 1979 issue. She appeared inside the magazine as well, on the editorial pages in 1979 and 1980.