What Is Phoebe Cates’ Net Worth?
Phoebe Cates, an American actress, model, and entrepreneur, has a net worth of $35 million, which she shares with her husband of over 30 years, actor Kevin Kline. Cates is well-known for her roles in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “Gremlins,” “Gremlins 2: The New Batch,” and “Drop Dead Fred.” She also appeared on Broadway in a production of “The Tenth Man” in 1989.
Phoebe Cates Early Life
Phoebe Cates was born in New York City in 1963 to Lily and Joseph Cates. Her father was a Broadway and television producer involved in creating “The $64,000 Question” game show. She grew up with two sisters and attended the Professional Children’s School and Juilliard School. Cates began modeling at age 10 and later earned a scholarship to the School of American Ballet but had to drop out due to a knee injury at 14. She described modeling as repetitive and only did it for the money.
Phoebe Cates’ Acting Career
Phoebe Cates started her acting career in 1982 with the film “Paradise” after becoming dissatisfied with modeling. Her father encouraged her to take the job, which required nudity, and she also sang the theme song and recorded an album for the movie.
Her second film was “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” in 1982, where she had a memorable bikini-drop scene. The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2005. She then appeared in films such as “Gremlins” (1984), “Drop Dead Fred” (1991), and “Princess Caraboo” (1994) alongside her husband Kevin Kline.
Cates stepped away from acting after “Princess Caraboo” and did not appear in another movie until 2001’s “The Anniversary Party,” which she did as a favor to her friend Jennifer Jason Leigh, the film’s director. In a 1998 interview, Kline stated that they agreed to alternate working times so that one of them would always be with their children when needed.
Phoebe Cates’ Personal Life
Phoebe shared a Greenwich Village apartment with her boyfriend, Stavros Merjos, in the early ’80s. In 1983, while auditioning for a role in “The Big Chill,” Cates met actor Kevin Kline. They were both involved with other people when they first met, but two years later when they were both single again, they began a relationship.
Phoebe and Kevin married on March 5, 1989, and they welcomed son Owen on October 14, 1991, and daughter Greta on March 21, 1994. The entire family appeared together in the 2001 film “The Anniversary Party,” and Owen went on to became a writer, director, and actor; Greta is a singer-songwriter and musician.
In 2005, Cates opened the Blue Tree boutique on NYC’s Madison Avenue.
