Sharon Tate (January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was an American actress and model. During the 1960s, she appeared in advertisements, small television roles and as an extra in films, before appearing in her first major role as Jennifer North in the 1967 film
Valley of the Dolls, which earned her a
Golden Globe Award nomination. That year, she also performed in the film
The Fearless Vampire Killers, directed by her future husband
Roman Polanski. On August 9, 1969,
Tate and four others were murdered by cult members of the
Manson Family in the home she shared with Polanski. She was eight and a half months pregnant at the time of her death. Her last completed film,
12+1, was released posthumously in 1969. This publicity photograph of Tate was released by
20th Century Fox for
Valley of the Dolls.
Photograph credit: 20th Century Fox; restored by Adam Cuerden