This ’80s Icon Chose to ‘Cook Dinner Every Night’ over Hollywood — At 60, She Is a Businesswoman & Has 2 Grown-up Kids
- She started as a model but later became a household name with roles that defined an era.
- Despite her success, she walked away from Hollywood in search of a quieter, more fulfilling routine.
- Now, she is 60 and enjoying life as a businesswoman, wife, and mother of two grown-up kids.
By the mid-’80s, her face had graced countless movie posters and magazine covers. However, at the height of her career, she stepped away from the limelight.
Now, at the age of 60, this former screen siren has embraced her new roles. Instead of going to fancy parties every night, she finds happiness in making dinner for her family. Her life isn’t about movie sales anymore. It’s about the achievements of her two adult children and the successful business she’s created.
The former starlet was born on July 16, 1963, in New York City. At the time of her birth, her family had already been part of the entertainment industry. Her dad was considered a TV pioneer and a Broadway producer.
At ten years old, she was already taking classes at Juilliard. Unfortunately, she had to stop three and a half years later due to a knee injury. Unrelenting, she then ventured into modeling shortly after, at fourteen.
In the years that followed, she became a well-recognized model. She’s been on four Seventeen Magazine covers, two Elle covers, and a British Vogue cover, alongside many other magazines.
Her modeling career was going well, but a sudden shift in career came after she met a film agent at a party in New York. She began training with Robert Ravan, founder of The Actors’ Circle in New York, and with Alice Spivak of H.B. Studios.
At first, the model was hesitant about making the sudden career switch. However, with some encouragement from her dad, she took the jump and accepted the challenge.
Her name is Phoebe Cates the siren who made her movie debut in “Paradise” in 1982, portraying the role of Sarah. In the same year, she starred in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” when she was only 19 years old.
Her appearance on “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” made her a pop culture icon. She had a scene donning a bright red swimsuit, which until today, people – even Jennifer Aniston – continue to channel.
At “Dane Cook Presents Feelin’ A-Live: Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” A-list actors and actresses got together to re-enact the iconic 1982 movie virtually. Aniston played Linda Barrett, the character played by Cates back in the day.
At the virtual table read, Aniston took off her denim jacket, revealing that she was wearing a tank top and a red bikini under – almost the same as the bikini top Cates once wore in the movie.
A year later, Cates was auditioning for a role in “The Big Chill” when she met Kevin Kline. While she didn’t get the part, she did find a partner in Kline.
Their relationship didn’t turn into something serious until two years later when they met again at the New York Public Theater. Kline reportedly asked Cates’ former assistant to get him a date with her.
Even then, however, their compatibility seemed questionable. She was a true New Yorker – bold, daring, and fun. She was a high-school dropout who chose to model and act and the daughter of a Broadway producer.