Phoebe Cates: The 80s Dream Girl Who Walked Away
The 80s had good movies, and among some of the classics was the movie, Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
An iconic character among others in the cast was Phoebe Cates. She would have preferred to play a character who didn't do any nudity, because she was incredibly nervous about the pool scene, "the infamous scene of the movie" and almost turned down the entire movie because of it.
Her co star and close friend, Jennifer Jason Leigh, had to convince her to take the role.
It's a slow motion movie scene which influenced the history of 1980s pop culture.
When Phoebe Cates stepped out of a backyard swimming pool in the movie, she not only made an iconic scene which should be a famous gif by all standards, she also became the ultimate crush for an entire generation.
Besides meeting industry standards for a hot actress, when you look closely at her character, Linda Barrett, you see why Cates was seen as outstanding from other young actresses of that era.
The director of the movie, Amy Heckerling and the writer, Cameron Crowe, gave Linda real personality. They did not make her into yet another beautiful object for the camera, she played a confident, smart teenager, making her own choice in romance.
It helped that Cates already had a pretty natural screen presence. On top of that, the character was a friendly "girl next door" style.
That sort of combination allowed her to bring this special quality to big hits like the movie, Gremlins and also unique comedies like Drop Dead Fred.
The most incredible part of her story was outside the movie set. That movie among others made her famous. With all that fame she chose a normal life, something rare in Hollywood.
She married actor Kevin Kline in 1989, and in 1994, she put an end to her acting career completely, to take care of her children.
That might seem like something that a lot more celebrities have done, but at the time, was quite unique. Instead of chasing more fame, she opened a small boutique shop named Blue Tree in New York City.
By leaving Hollywood on her own terms, Phoebe Cates was able to stay a perfect symbol of 80s nostalgia.
Unlike some others who return to make a bad movie and put a stain on their legacy. Returning is a risk.
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