Tanya Roberts Actress Date of Birth: 15.10.1955 Country: USA

1. Tanya Roberts - American Actress
2. Early Life
3. Acting Career
4. Later Career and Personal Life

Tanya Roberts - American Actress

Tanya Roberts, born Victoria Leigh Blum on October 15, 1955, in the Bronx, New York, USA, is an American actress who gained popularity after her roles in the television series "Charlie's Angels" and "That '70s Show", as well as the action film "The Beastmaster" and the fantasy film "Sheena". In the early 1980s, Tanya was recognized as one of Hollywood's most popular sex symbols.

Early Life

Tanya Roberts is the daughter of an Irish-American father and a Jewish-American mother. Her parents divorced before she entered middle school. At the age of 15, she dropped out of school and traveled hitchhiking across the United States until her mother-in-law helped her annul her marriage. Roberts continued to live in New York, working in the modeling industry and becoming a dance instructor with Arthur Murray.

Acting Career

After meeting psychology student Barry Roberts, Tanya proposed to him in a subway station, and they got married. Barry later became a screenwriter, while Tanya pursued her acting career by studying at Lee Strasberg's and Uta Hagen's acting studios. In the 1970s, Roberts began her modeling career and appeared in television commercials for American toothpaste "Ultra Brite", Clairol products (a branch of the famous Procter & Gamble), and "Cool Ray" sunglasses. She also had several notable roles in off-Broadway productions such as the play "Picnic" and Sophocles' tragedy "Antigone".

Her film debut came in 1975 with the thriller "Forced Entry", followed by a role in Barry Rosen's comedy "The Yum-Yum Girls" in 1976. In 1977, she and her husband moved to Hollywood. The following year, Roberts appeared in James Toback's drama "Fingers" and gained cult status for her role as Becky in David Schmoeller's horror film "Tourist Trap" in 1979. She also appeared in the films "Racket" and "California Dreaming".

In the 1980s, Roberts was chosen out of 2000 candidates to replace actress Shelley Hack in the television series "Charlie's Angels". However, she joined the show for its final season. Roberts brought her own interpretation to her character in "Charlie's Angels" - her character, Julie Rogers, was a resourceful master of getting out of dangerous situations and relied more on her fists than on weapons during fights. This portrayal brought Roberts unprecedented popularity. She appeared on the cover of People magazine (September 7, 1981) and started receiving more ambitious project offers, although her success was often attributed to her attractive appearance rather than her acting abilities.

In 1982, Roberts played Kiri in Don Coscarelli's action film "The Beastmaster" and also made headlines by appearing nude in Playboy magazine. In 1983, she starred in the little-known Italian adventure film "Paladins – Story of Arms and Loves", based on an Orlando Furioso novella. She played Velda, the secretary and love interest of private detective Mike Hammer in Gary Nelson's action film "Murder Me, Murder You", which served as a prototype for the Mickey Spillane television series "Mike Hammer". Roberts turned down the opportunity to star in the series to play the lead role in the fantasy film "Sheena" in 1984. The film was based on the adapted character from Will Eisner's comic book. Dressed in minimal clothing, Sheena introduced a new blond style and hairstyle that Roberts would wear for the rest of her career. However, the film performed poorly at the box office and received negative reviews from critics.

Roberts then played Stacey Sutton, an ally of James Bond, in John Glen's action film "A View to a Kill" in 1985, starring Roger Moore as Bond and Christopher Walken as the villain.

Later Career and Personal Life

After a brief hiatus, Roberts's career took a downturn. She appeared in the comedy "Body Slam" in 1987, which revolved around the world of professional wrestling. She ended the decade with a role in the action film "Almost Pregnant", a story about the lives of female inmates in a prison.

In the 1990s, Roberts predominantly worked in erotic thrillers for cable television, taking advantage of her physical attributes, often including nude love scenes. During this period, she frequently competed with Shannon Tweed, who was known for her explicitness in films. Roberts starred in the thriller "Night Eyes" in 1990, followed by her role as Lynn Foster in Fred Olen Ray's thriller "Inner Sanctum" in 1991, which became one of the most successful erotic thriller films and was well-received by distributors. In 1992, Roberts played Kay Egan in Jim Wynorski's thriller "Sins of Desire". She also appeared in the 1994 television series "Hot Line" and made a virtual appearance in the computer adventure game "The Pandora Directive" in 1996.

In 1998, Roberts gained recognition among both adult and younger audiences for her role as Midge in the television series "That '70s Show". In an interview for the documentary series "E! True Hollywood Story", Roberts stated that she left the show in 2001 because her husband had become seriously ill, although she did not provide any further details. It was later reported that her husband, Barry Roberts, passed away on June 15, 2006, after a four-year battle with encephalitis. He and Tanya had been together for 32 years, which is considered a long and stable relationship by Hollywood standards.

In the 2000s, after leaving "That '70s Show", Roberts worked in radio and became a spokesperson for several timeshare companies in Las Vegas, particularly "Soleil" and "Tahiti Villag". She hosted a commercial radio show on multiple stations and developed programs for Consolidated Resorts. These projects featured simulated "interviews" designed to give listeners the impression they were just listening to someone rather than being part of a promotional endorsement.