Sharon Tate was a rising star in Hollywood during the 1960s, known for her role in Valley of the Dolls. Her tragic death, however, has overshadowed her life and career. To this day, her story is revisited through countless books, documentaries, and films. At the height of her fame, she was married to director Roman Polanski, and together, they were a high-profile couple who dominated the Hollywood scene.
In 1969, Sharon, along with celebrity hairstylist Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger—the heiress to the Folger coffee fortune—and Polanski’s close friend Wojciech Frykowski, were brutally murdered by members of the Manson Family. This shocking and inexplicable crime shook both Hollywood and the entire country, leaving a lasting mark. Actor George Hamilton, reflecting on the time, said, “This was wholesale slaughter. No one knew where it was coming from. Hollywood is not known for its bravery, and suddenly doors were locked and the whole place turned dark.”
Now, over 50 years later, members of the Manson Family are being released from prison after serving their sentences. Just today, Leslie Van Houten, a follower of Charles Manson who helped in the murders of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, was released after serving 53 years. Van Houten, who was only 19 at the time, is now free and living under parole supervision.
Though Van Houten was not involved in the murders of Sharon Tate and her friends, her release has reignited interest in the tragic events. Tate was killed the day before the LaBianca murders by Charles “Tex” Watson, Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel, and Linda Kasabian. Watson and Krenwinkel are still alive and remain in prison today.
Public fascination with Tate’s life and untimely death also surged in 2019 following the release of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. While the film focuses on fictional characters, Sharon Tate is a significant figure in the story, portrayed by Margot Robbie. The movie is set in 1969, the same year Tate was murdered, and it follows TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) as they struggle to adapt to the changing Hollywood landscape. In the film, Tate lives next door to Dalton.
Speaking about Tate, Tarantino said in an interview, “Unfortunately, she’s a woman who has been defined by the tragedy of her death.” He added that his film sought to explore who she was as a person, beyond the infamous crime.
Who Was Sharon Tate?
Sharon Tate was born in Dallas, Texas, in 1943 to Paul James Tate, a strict U.S. Army colonel, and Doris Gwendolyn Tate, who later became a dedicated activist in her daughter’s memory. Sharon was a natural beauty and started gaining attention from a young age as a pageant queen and model.
As the child of a military officer, Tate’s family moved frequently, and she lived in various countries growing up. In 1961, she attended an American high school in Verona, Italy, where she learned to speak Italian fluently. Her undeniable beauty, talent, and charm soon led her to Hollywood, where she became a rising star. Among her most notable screen credits were Valley of the Dolls and The Fearless Vampire Killers, the latter directed by her husband, Roman Polanski.
While her career was promising, Sharon Tate’s life was tragically cut short, but her kind and gentle spirit lives on in the memories of those who knew her. Today, her legacy is not just the horror of her death, but also the radiant person she was during her brief time in the spotlight.
