Sharon Tate
American actress and model (1943–1969)
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- Her character, 'Freia Carlson', in The Wrecking Crew (1969) was the inspiration for 'Felicity Shagwell' in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999).
- Was originally cast in the role of "Billie Jo" on "Petticoat Junction" (1963), but she walked away from the show on advice from her manager (Martin Ransohoff). He didn't feel it was a good launching pad for her career.
- When the house was demolished in 1994, Trent Reznor having used the house to record his 8th Halo album 'The Downward Spiral (1994)' alledgedly took the 'Pig' door and used it for his studio in Louisiana.
- A January 25, 1965, brief in Daily Variety announced that she would play the lead, on loan from Filmways, in producer Sy Weintraub's Tarzan and the Valley of Gold (1966). The role eventually went to Nancy Kovack.
- Born at 5:47 pm-CST on a Sunday.
- Spent her junior year of high school in three different schools: Columbia High School in Richland, Washington, from September to late fall 1959; Irvin High School in El Paso, Texas, from late fall 1959 to April 1960; and Vicenza American High School in Vicenza, Italy, from April to June 1960. She graduated from Vicenza American High School in 1961.
- Was originally cast in the role of Christian Rudd in The Cincinnati Kid (1965) by producer Martin Ransohoff, who had her under contract. She was replaced with Tuesday Weld by the film's director, Norman Jewison, after Sam Peckinpah was fired several days into filming by Ransohoff. Ransohoff was dismayed by Peckinpah's desire to shoot the film in black and white and to feature Tate in a nude scene.
- Is portrayed by Whitney Dylan in Helter Skelter (2004) (TV)
- Spoke fluent Italian.
- Was best friends with Julie Christie.
- On "E!'s Most Shocking Hollywood Murders", her murder was ranked #1.
- Her friend Christopher Jones was emotionally devastated by her August 9th, 1969 murder by the acolytes of Charles Manson. Jones suffered what he described as a "nervous breakdown" and abandoned his acting career.
- The Barbie Doll "Malibu Barbie" was created based on Sharon Tate's character in Don't Make Waves (1967).
- Last book she read was Thomas Hardy's "Tess of the d'Urbervilles" which she convinced Roman Polanski would make a great film one day. Polanski's film Tess (1979) is dedicated simply "For Sharon".
- Sharon became close friends with her Valley of the Dolls (1967) costars, Patty Duke and Barbara Parkins. Parkins later served as Sharon's Maid of Honor when she married Roman Polanski in 1968.
- Auditioned for the role of Liesl in The Sound of Music (1965) that went to Charmian Carr.
- Was a distant cousin of Bo Brinkman, Dakota Brinkman, Dennis Quaid, and Randy Quaid.
- Sister of Debra Tate.
- In 1959 she was the winner of 5 different beauty pageants: Miss Frontier Days, Miss Richland, Miss Tri-Cities, Miss Water Follies, and Miss Auto-Rama.
- Lived in Pasadena, Texas from 1948 to 1951 and attended St. Pius V Catholic School from kindergarten to the second grade (1948-1951).
- She was engaged to celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring from 1966-67. She broke off the engagement to marry Roman Polanski, but they remained good friends. Sebring was a house guest on the night that four of Charles Manson's minions broke into the house, and murdered Sharon, Jay, Abigail "Gibby", Voytek, and Steven Parent. Susan Atkins used a towel to write 'Pig' on the front door in Sharon's blood before throwing it on Jay's head and fleeing the house with her accomplices.
- Her favorite lip makeup was vaseline. She kept little jars of it in her car.
- Her parents' names are Paul James Tate and Doris Gwendolyn Willet. They were married on January 25, 1942. Her mother was born on January 19, 1924 and died on July 10, 1992.
- Had two younger sisters, Debra (born November 6, 1952) and Patricia (born October 30, 1957; died June 3, 2000). She was very close to both of them.