Sharon Tate was a gorgeous mom-to-be who was also a rising star in Hollywood when her bright future was tragically cut short. She never got to be a mom, she never got to make it to the top of her acting career. She was just 26-years-old.
It was all stolen from her, and it was Charles Manson’s followers, better known as his “family” that robbed her of her opportunities.
Now, it’s been 50 years since her untimely death. Here’s everything you need to know about this absolutely beautiful young woman who didn’t deserve her tragic ending.
Wikimedia Commons; pictured above is a photo of Sharon from when she starred in the Valley of the Dolls
Sharon was born on the 24th of January, 1943, in Dallas, Texas. She lived there with her mom and dad, and Sharon also had two sisters that were younger than her: Patti and Debra.
Sharon’s dad was an officer in the Army, and he helped develop missile stations for nations in NATO. The family understandably had to move quite a lot for his job.
Twitter; pictured in the above photos, Sharon Tate strikes a pose while in Cannes, France
It was hard for Sharon to make friends as a child since they moved so much, but she was very close to her younger siblings. The most exotic place they moved to was Italy, while Sharon was still in high school.
Sharon was a knockout from the very beginning, and people certainly took notice of her and her beauty. People found her almost doll-like.
She started entering into beauty pageants, and not surprisingly, she did quite well. She took home Miss Tiny Tot of Dallas at just 6 months old. Her looks won her the 1959 Miss Richland title in Washington. Sharon even landed on the cover of a military magazine called Stars and Stripes.
It was when Sharon found herself moving to Italy for her dad’s job that she began to dabble in the world of acting, and she was a complete natural.
When she first started out, Sharon was able to land a few parts as an extra in several different Italian films. Not bad for her first few tries!
Twitter; pictured above are several photos of Sharon, shot by photographer Curt Gunther
In 1962, her dad’s job brought her and her entire family back to the United States, but Sharon didn’t leave her acting career behind in Europe.
Sharon moved to Los Angeles and quickly got a contract with the director of Filmways Inc, named Martin Ransohoff. The contract she signed was for 7 years.
Sharon landed a few small parts in some major TV sitcoms of the time like The Beverly Hillbillies, and Mister Ed.
Twitter; pictured above, Sharon wears a bright yellow mini dress
Sharon struggled to get roles in bigger parts, such as The Sound of Music. She was up for the role of Liesl but didn’t get it. And then, her luck turned right around.
