Phoebe Cates

Phoebe Cates (born July 16, 1963) is an American film actress known for her roles in several teen films, most notably Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Gremlins. Cates was born in New York City, New York, to a family of TV and Broadway production insiders. Her father Joseph Cates (originally Katz) was a major Broadway producer and a pioneering figure in television, who helped create The $64,000 Question. Her uncle Gilbert Cates produced numerous T... more

Phoebe Cates (born July 16, 1963) is an American film actress known for her roles in several teen films, most notably Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Gremlins. Cates was born in New York City, New York, to a family of TV and Broadway production insiders. Her father Joseph Cates (originally Katz) was a major Broadway producer and a pioneering figure in television, who helped create The $64,000 Question. Her uncle Gilbert Cates produced numerous TV specials, often in partnership with Cates' father, and several annual Academy Awards shows. Her maternal grandfather was of Chinese/Filipino descent, and her father as well as her maternal grandmother were of Russian Jewish origin. Cates attended the Professional Children's School and the Juilliard School. Cates starred in 1982's Fast Times at Ridgemont High which features "the most memorable bikini-drop in cinema history." Also that same year, she had a starring role and several nude scenes in the romance film Paradise, which had a plot... less