Phoebe Cates attended Professional Children's School in New York City and made her motion picture debut as Jennifer Jason Leigh's "experienced" confidante in Amy Heckerling's acclaimed Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Cates then landed the role of Christine Ramsey in Private School... for Girls, then co-starred in the innovative_Gremlins (1984)_ for Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment directed by Joe Dante. Cates has remained active in theatre as well. After making her New York debut in Joseph Papp's Off-Broadway production of "The Nest of the Wood Grouse" in 1984, she followed with David Hwang's "Rich Relations" at The Second Stage and a one-act festival at the Manhattan Punchline. On the West Coast, Cates played Nina in the La Jolla Playhouse production of Anton Chekhov's "The Sea Gull," and has since appeared in "Much Ado About Nothing" at New York's Public Theatre, and as Juliet in Chicago's Goodman Theatre production of "Romeo and Juliet".



Daughter of producer/director Joseph Cates. Godmother was Jacqueline Susann. In the movie Private School (1983), Cates sings two of the soundtrack songs: "Just One Touch" and "How Do I Let You Know". Has an older sister, Valerie Cates, and a younger sister, Alexandra Cates. Since her 'retirement' from films, she and her movie star husband, Kevin Kline, divide their time between their country estate in upstate New York and their luxury penthouse in Manhattan's tony upper east side. When not supporting her husband's continuing fine stage and film work, she fills her time attending openings and benefits and her favorite activity, hosting dinner parties and 'dishing the dirt' with her celebrity friends. Cates' maternal grandfather was of Chinese Filipino descent, and her father as well as her maternal grandmother were of Russian Jewish origin. Sister-in-law of producer Kate Kline May Measurements: 31B-23-33 (as teen model, 1980), 34B-23-34 (during Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)), (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine). She is good friends with actress Jennifer Jason Leigh, they met while filming Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) together. Met her future husband, Kevin Kline, when she auditioned for the part of Chloe in The Big Chill (1983), that eventually went to Meg Tilly. Turned down the roles of Sarah Tobias in The Accused (1988) and Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs (1991).