remembering sharon tate, 50 years after her death

Terry O'Neill

For many people, Sharon Tate is a symbol of 60s—a decade where peace and love reigned supreme.

Last week, in just an hour or two, I read Debra Tate's biography about her sister, which is filled with delightful anecdotes and breathtaking photographs.

To honour Sharon's memory, I've decided to share some of the information and pictures found in the book.

Sharon was an army brat; she spent the majority of her childhood and teenage years travelling. When she was 17, her family moved to Verona, Italy, where she is pictured above. Sharon was almost fluent in Italian.

Author Truman Capote described Sharon as being highly intelligent and a big reader.

In the majority of her filmography, Sharon wears a brown wig. Her managers wanted her to gain more acting experience before debuting as Hollywood's newest starlet.

While the picture above is a still from Valley of the Dolls, Sharon was fond of cigarettes in real life too. Michelle Phillips, a singer and actress, recalls Sharon savouring one last cigarette before telling her husband, who disliked her smoking habit, that she was pregnant.

Peter Evans, both a photographer and friend of Sharon's, described her as a part of the anti-establishment establishment. '[She] became rich but never regal.'

Sharon once said she wanted to be Catherine Deneuve's American counterpart. 'She plays beautiful, sensitive, deep parts with a little bit of intelligence behind them.'

In 1967, Sharon Tate played Malibu in Don't Make Waves. Four years later, Mattel named Malibu Barbie after Sharon's character.

Above all, Sharon is remembered for her kindness and warm personality. Brian Morris, a nightclub owner, describes Sharon as a 'very, very gentle person. Very gentle. Very much a flower power child.'

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— Milly xx