{"id":8484,"date":"2026-07-17T09:24:38","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T04:24:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=8484"},"modified":"2026-07-17T09:24:38","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T04:24:38","slug":"what-happened-to-80s-star-phoebe-cates-inside-the-reclusive-actress-life-away-from-hollywood-as-she-turns-63","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=8484","title":{"rendered":"What happened to &#8217;80s star Phoebe Cates? Inside the reclusive actress&#8217; life away from Hollywood as she turns 63"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p id=\"exZmKUjryJ\" data-wc=\"23\"><a class=\"hm-link he-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hellomagazine.com\/us\/911341\/see-the-forgotten-a-list-stars-who-disappeared-from-hollywood-now-phoebe-cates-evangeline-lilly-and-more\/\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-body-link\">Phoebe Cates<\/a> was once one of Hollywood&#8217;s brightest stars, thanks to unforgettable roles in films like <em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Fast Times at Ridgemont High<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Gremlins.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><ev-engagement id=\"horizon_hello\" group-name=\"horizon_hello\"\/><\/p>\n<p id=\"e7LClIMBoJ5\" data-wc=\"22\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">But at the height of her fame, the actress left it all behind to <a class=\"hm-link he-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hellomagazine.com\/celebrities\/910831\/the-iconic-80s-leading-ladies-who-completely-walked-away-from-the-silver-screen-to-live-quiet-lives\/\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-body-link\">seek a quieter life<\/a> away from the spotlight.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p id=\"eue7PuMzezk\" data-wc=\"32\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">As Phoebe celebrates her 63rd birthday, join\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"><a class=\"hm-link he-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hellomagazine.com\/us\/\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-body-link\">HELLO!<\/a><\/span><\/strong> as we take a look at the life she&#8217;s built in private, from her decades-long romance with <a class=\"hm-link he-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hellomagazine.com\/celebrities\/834310\/patti-lupone-details-painful-relationship-lothario-ex-kevin-kline\/\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"article-body-link\">Kevin Kline<\/a> to her unexpected career pivot.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fr-embedded\">\n<div data-wc=\"200\" id=\"ePaQl-PjSa\">\n<div class=\" he-theme he-gaLiIt-1563865 -list-item -original_aspect_ratio\">\n<div>\n<figure class=\"he-meIm-995f02 original_aspect_ratio\">\n<div class=\"he-imCo-14461c5\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.hellomagazine.com\/horizon\/original_aspect_ratio\/9cd9e386a2e5-gettyimages-635759391.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width:1360px) 630px, (min-width:960px) 60vw, (min-width:320px) calc(100vw - (var(--page-gutter) * 2)), calc(100vw - (var(--page-gutter) * 2))\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.hellomagazine.com\/horizon\/original_aspect_ratio\/9cd9e386a2e5-gettyimages-635759391.jpg?tx=c_limit,w_960 960w, https:\/\/images.hellomagazine.com\/horizon\/original_aspect_ratio\/9cd9e386a2e5-gettyimages-635759391.jpg?tx=c_limit,w_640 640w, https:\/\/images.hellomagazine.com\/horizon\/original_aspect_ratio\/9cd9e386a2e5-gettyimages-635759391.jpg?tx=c_limit,w_360 360w\" width=\"691\" height=\"1024\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Outdoor portrait of actress Phoebe Cates. She is shown waist-up, resting her crossed arms on a wooden fence, dated 1982.\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" class=\"image he-image\" data-flatplan=\"fp_photoCaption\"\/><span class=\"he-imCr-1233683\">\u00a9 VCG via Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"he-720f74 he-gaLiItTi-2077575\">An &#8217;80s icon<\/h2>\n<div class=\"he-gaLiItDe-2719e39\">\n<p>Phoebe seemed to be virtually everywhere in the &#8217;80s and &#8217;90s, with starring roles in <em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Gremlins, Gremlins 2: The New Batch<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Drop Dead Fred<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">However, the actress grew disillusioned with Hollywood and shifted her focus to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hellomagazine.com\/us\/899697\/meet-80s-star-phoebe-cates-two-children-including-actor-son-who-starred-in-her-final-ever-film\/\">her two kids, Owen and Greta<\/a>, in the mid-&#8217;90s. She retired in 1994 after starring in\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Princess Caraboo<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0alongside her husband, Kevin Kline.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Phoebe has reappeared onscreen on a handful of occasions since; once in 2001 in <em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Anniversary Party<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0as a favor to her friend and the film&#8217;s director, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and again in 2015 when she voiced her\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Gremlins<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0character in the\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Lego Dimensions<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0game.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fr-embedded\">\n<div data-wc=\"200\" id=\"eU2IZDM8u6\">\n<div class=\" he-theme he-gaLiIt-1563865 -list-item -original_aspect_ratio\">\n<div>\n<figure class=\"he-meIm-995f02 original_aspect_ratio\">\n<div class=\"he-imCo-14461c5\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.hellomagazine.com\/horizon\/original_aspect_ratio\/7adc7aff9ad0-patti-lupone-shares-insight-into-painful-relationship-lothario-kevin-kline.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width:1360px) 630px, (min-width:960px) 60vw, (min-width:320px) calc(100vw - (var(--page-gutter) * 2)), calc(100vw - (var(--page-gutter) * 2))\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.hellomagazine.com\/horizon\/original_aspect_ratio\/7adc7aff9ad0-patti-lupone-shares-insight-into-painful-relationship-lothario-kevin-kline.jpg?tx=c_limit,w_960 960w, https:\/\/images.hellomagazine.com\/horizon\/original_aspect_ratio\/7adc7aff9ad0-patti-lupone-shares-insight-into-painful-relationship-lothario-kevin-kline.jpg?tx=c_limit,w_640 640w, https:\/\/images.hellomagazine.com\/horizon\/original_aspect_ratio\/7adc7aff9ad0-patti-lupone-shares-insight-into-painful-relationship-lothario-kevin-kline.jpg?tx=c_limit,w_360 360w\" width=\"681\" height=\"1024\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"photo of kevin kline and his wife phoebe cates\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" class=\"image he-image\" data-flatplan=\"fp_photoCaption\"\/><span class=\"he-imCr-1233683\">\u00a9 Kevin Mazur<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"he-720f74 he-gaLiItTi-2077575\">Finding love<\/h2>\n<div class=\"he-gaLiItDe-2719e39\">\n<p>The actress first met her husband Kevin in 1982 at an audition, and the pair later reconnected while working at the New York Public Theater. They tied the knot in 1989 and went on to welcome two kids together.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The duo share a 16-year age gap, with Phoebe being 25 and her husband being 41 when they married, yet their romance is still going strong decades later. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fr-embedded\">\n<div data-wc=\"200\" id=\"eR1IPHeCub\">\n<div class=\" he-theme he-gaLiIt-1563865 -list-item -original_aspect_ratio\">\n<div>\n<figure class=\"he-meIm-995f02 original_aspect_ratio\">\n<div class=\"he-imCo-14461c5\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.hellomagazine.com\/horizon\/original_aspect_ratio\/1528ed60643a-gettyimages-112369020.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width:1360px) 630px, (min-width:960px) 60vw, (min-width:320px) calc(100vw - (var(--page-gutter) * 2)), calc(100vw - (var(--page-gutter) * 2))\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.hellomagazine.com\/horizon\/original_aspect_ratio\/1528ed60643a-gettyimages-112369020.jpg?tx=c_limit,w_960 960w, https:\/\/images.hellomagazine.com\/horizon\/original_aspect_ratio\/1528ed60643a-gettyimages-112369020.jpg?tx=c_limit,w_640 640w, https:\/\/images.hellomagazine.com\/horizon\/original_aspect_ratio\/1528ed60643a-gettyimages-112369020.jpg?tx=c_limit,w_360 360w\" width=\"716\" height=\"1024\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"kevin kline phoebe cates kids\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" class=\"image he-image\" data-flatplan=\"fp_photoCaption\"\/><span class=\"he-imCr-1233683\">\u00a9 WireImage<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"he-720f74 he-gaLiItTi-2077575\">Motherhood 101<\/h2>\n<div class=\"he-gaLiItDe-2719e39\">\n<p>Phoebe and Kevin&#8217;s eldest child, Owen, arrived in October 1991, and now works as a filmmaker, actor and cartoonist.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He has acted in projects like <em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Squid and the Whale<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0and directed A-24&#8217;s\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Funny Pages\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">in 2022. Owen shared with\u00a0<\/span><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/film\/2022\/sep\/15\/no-one-wants-to-read-someones-kids-thing-its-a-sucky-scenario-owen-kline-on-his-debut-hit-funny-pages\" target=\"_blank\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Guardia<\/span>n<\/a><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0that his parents were &#8220;so supportive&#8221; of his dreams and encouraged him to complete the film.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Greta, who was born in March 1994, is a talented singer and member of the indie-pop band Frankie Cosmos.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">She shared with <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.interviewmagazine.com\/music\/discovery-frankie-cosmos\" target=\"_blank\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Intervie<\/span>w<\/a><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0magazine that Phoebe and Kevin created a supportive environment for her growing up, and inspired her to become a musician.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8220;My parents have both done some music stuff,&#8221; she explained.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8220;My family was very artist-friendly, so that was encouraging. I took piano lessons for, like, 10 years. Every Friday night, my family had music at our house. We&#8217;d have friends over and be able to be really loud and play music. That was really encouraging.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fr-embedded\">\n<div data-wc=\"200\" id=\"er5BwFDmQt\">\n<div class=\" he-theme he-gaLiIt-1563865 -list-item -original_aspect_ratio\">\n<div>\n<figure class=\"he-meIm-995f02 original_aspect_ratio\">\n<div class=\"he-imCo-14461c5\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.hellomagazine.com\/horizon\/original_aspect_ratio\/bfe30bdbb039-gettyimages-1460078628.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width:1360px) 630px, (min-width:960px) 60vw, (min-width:320px) calc(100vw - (var(--page-gutter) * 2)), calc(100vw - (var(--page-gutter) * 2))\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.hellomagazine.com\/horizon\/original_aspect_ratio\/bfe30bdbb039-gettyimages-1460078628.jpg?tx=c_limit,w_960 960w, https:\/\/images.hellomagazine.com\/horizon\/original_aspect_ratio\/bfe30bdbb039-gettyimages-1460078628.jpg?tx=c_limit,w_640 640w, https:\/\/images.hellomagazine.com\/horizon\/original_aspect_ratio\/bfe30bdbb039-gettyimages-1460078628.jpg?tx=c_limit,w_360 360w\" width=\"682\" height=\"1024\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"phoebe cates blue tree store\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" class=\"image he-image\" data-flatplan=\"fp_photoCaption\"\/><span class=\"he-imCr-1233683\">\u00a9 Penske Media via Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"he-720f74 he-gaLiItTi-2077575\">Stepping back<\/h2>\n<div class=\"he-gaLiItDe-2719e39\">\n<p>Phoebe disappeared from public life in the mid-&#8217;90s to focus on raising her two kids, and realized her dream of opening a boutique in 2005. The brunette beauty launched Blue Tree in New York, in a move that many questioned at the time.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8220;Everyone said, &#8216;Why would you want to do that? Retail is terrible,&#8217; but I dreamed it,&#8221; she said on\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=nW14t6dHa-Q\" target=\"_blank\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">The Big Ide<\/span>a<\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8220;I kept a dream journal where we would joke about it. I would cut out photos of great, innovative products, and my kids would joke, &#8216;That&#8217;s for the store.&#8217; I knew that acting wasn&#8217;t an option for me. I wasn&#8217;t driven to do it again.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Acting had left her disillusioned with her glamorous Hollywood life, leading the star to switch careers entirely.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">&#8220;I started acting and modeling so young that at a young age I craved a normal existence, dealing with people who have no preexisting idea about you,&#8221; she told <em><a href=\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/fashion-news\/fashion-features\/feature\/going-out-on-a-limb-1064231-1832517\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">WW<\/span>D<\/a><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fr-embedded\">\n<div data-wc=\"200\" id=\"egi-GSFQmL\">\n<div class=\" he-theme he-gaLiIt-1563865 -list-item -original_aspect_ratio\">\n<div>\n<figure class=\"he-meIm-995f02 original_aspect_ratio\">\n<div class=\"he-imCo-14461c5\"><img src=\"https:\/\/images.hellomagazine.com\/horizon\/original_aspect_ratio\/1b12dca4b440-gettyimages-823260598.jpg\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width:1360px) 630px, (min-width:960px) 60vw, (min-width:320px) calc(100vw - (var(--page-gutter) * 2)), calc(100vw - (var(--page-gutter) * 2))\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.hellomagazine.com\/horizon\/original_aspect_ratio\/1b12dca4b440-gettyimages-823260598.jpg?tx=c_limit,w_960 960w, https:\/\/images.hellomagazine.com\/horizon\/original_aspect_ratio\/1b12dca4b440-gettyimages-823260598.jpg?tx=c_limit,w_640 640w, https:\/\/images.hellomagazine.com\/horizon\/original_aspect_ratio\/1b12dca4b440-gettyimages-823260598.jpg?tx=c_limit,w_360 360w\" width=\"1024\" height=\"813\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"kevin kline phoebe cates\" fetchpriority=\"auto\" class=\"image he-image\" data-flatplan=\"fp_photoCaption\"\/><span class=\"he-imCr-1233683\">\u00a9 Craig Barritt<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"he-720f74 he-gaLiItTi-2077575\">A quieter life<\/h2>\n<div class=\"he-gaLiItDe-2719e39\">\n<p>Phoebe&#8217;s boutique is reportedly still in operation in NYC, and brings her the kind of fulfilment that acting never did.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">According to the store&#8217;s website, Blue Tree &#8220;carries unique and carefully chosen items in home, gift, fragrance, music, delicacies\u2026There are no rules. And we are always re-inventing, recreating in the hopes of delighting.&#8221;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Phoebe Cates was once one of Hollywood&#8217;s brightest stars, thanks to unforgettable roles in films like Fast Times at Ridgemont High\u00a0and\u00a0Gremlins.\u00a0 But at the height of her fame, the actress left it all behind to seek a quieter life away from the spotlight.\u00a0 As Phoebe celebrates her 63rd birthday, join\u00a0HELLO! as we take a look&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8485,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/images.hellomagazine.com\/horizon\/landscape\/584c3ec76ae6-gettyimages-2240317231.jpg?tx=c_fill,w_1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8484"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8484\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}