Sharon Tate

Sharon Tate wasn't chasing fame out of ego. Her father was a military intelligence officer, and she grew up used to moving to a new city every few months. In 1959, she was crowned Miss Richland in Washington. But her real visual education began in Italy when her family was transferred to Verona.

There, she landed her first jobs as an extra.

She took part in the shoot of Barabbas in 1961 and caught the attention of actor Jack Palance. The camera loved her more than she loved herself. So she decided to try her luck in Hollywood under the protection of producer Martin Ransohoff. He kept her out of sight for years while preparing her for what he considered full-blown stardom.

The Seven-Year Contract

Ransohoff was a difficult man. Before letting her fly, he made her take small roles in series like The Beverly Hillbillies. Sharon appeared in a brunette wig so no one would recognize her yet. In 1966, her big break came with Eye of the Devil. She traveled to France to shoot alongside David Niven and Deborah Kerr.

The production company invested one million dollars in her launch.

Shortly after, she met Roman Polanski. The director was looking for the lead of The Fearless Vampire Killers, and Sharon didn't fit his initial vision. He wanted someone with a more classic, redheaded look. But after a dinner and several screen tests, the filmmaker gave in to a photogenic quality that was impossible to ignore.

They got married in London in January 1968.

The wedding was a social event that brought together old Hollywood and the new European avant-garde. She wore a white silk minidress and flowers in her hair. At that time, Sharon was the visible face of a generation that was breaking the aesthetic rules of the previous decade.

The Curse of Jennifer North

Her role in The Valley of the Dolls in 1967 was what truly put her on the commercial map. The film adapted Jacqueline Susann's best-seller. Sharon played an actress who was valued only for her body. She admitted in several interviews that she identified with that professional anguish. She earned 50,000 dollars for that job.

And the gamble paid off.

Critics tore the film apart. But audiences filled theaters, and the Golden Globe nomination confirmed that Tate was more than a face for fashion magazines. In 1968, she shot The Seven Year Itch with Dean Martin. There, she showed a natural talent for physical comedy and action scenes.

Her last completed film was The Thirteen Chairs. It was shot in Italy and France during the first half of 1969. Sharon was already pregnant, and the crew had to use costume tricks to hide her condition. In July of that year, she returned to Los Angeles aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 because her doctor forbade her from flying.

On August 9, 1969, members of Charles Manson's cult broke into her home on Cielo Drive. Sharon Tate was 26 years old. The trial against the killers began in June 1970 and dragged on for nine months. The house where the massacre took place was demolished in 1994 to build a new Mediterranean-style mansion.