Sharon Marie Tate (January 24, 1943 – August 9, 1969) was a Golden Globe-nominated American actress. During the 1960s she had small television roles before starting her film career. She appeared in several films that highlighted her beauty, and after receiving positive reviews for her comedic performances, was hailed as one of Hollywood's promising newcomers. Tate's fame increased after her marriage to film director Roman Polański and her appearances in fashion magazines as a model and cover girl.

Tate was murdered, along with four others, by followers of Charles Manson at her Benedict Canyon home. She was eight and a half months pregnant.

A decade after the murders, her mother Doris Tate, appalled at the growing cult status of the killers and the possibility that any of them might be granted parole, joined a public campaign against what she considered shortcomings in the state corrections system. This catalyzed amendments to California criminal law in 1982, which allowed crime victims and their families to make victim impact statements during sentencing and at parole hearings. She became the first person to make such an impact statement under the new law, when she spoke at the parole hearing of one of her daughter's killers, Charles "Tex" Watson. She later said that she believed the changes in the law had afforded her daughter dignity that had been denied her before, and that she had been able to "help transform Sharon's legacy from murder victim to a symbol of victim's rights". King, Greg. Sharon Tate and the Manson Murders. 2000. Barricade Books. ISBN 1-56980-157-6.

Sharon's early life was one of constant moving as her father served in the military. When she lived in Italy, she was voted "Homecoming Queen" of her high school. After being an extra in a few Italian films, Sharon headed to Hollywood where she would again start as an extra. Her first big break came when she was cast as the shapely bank secretary, Janet Trego, in the Television Series "Beverly Hillbillies, The" (1962) (1963-1965)". In 1967, she would meet her future husband, Director Roman Polanski, on the set of the English film _Fearless Vampire Killers, The (1967)_. Sharon's big role would be that same year when she was the starlet in Valley of the Dolls (1967). With her marriage to Roman, her life became one of parties, travel, and meeting influential movie people. She would appear as a red haired beauty in the spy spoof Wrecking Crew, The (1969) working with Dean Martin (I) and the equally beautiful Elke Sommer. Sharon then took time off from films as she awaited the birth of her first child. On August 9, 1969, a pregnant Sharon Tate and four other people where murdered by members of the "Manson family".

Much of Sharon Tate's story sounds like a studio press release. It seems she had always wanted to be an actress. At age six months, she won Miss Tiny Tot of Dallas, at sixteen years, Miss Richland, Washington, then Miss Autorama. When her father, a career army officer, was assigned to San Pedro, she would hitchhike into nearby Los Angeles, haunting the studios. In addition to her ambition, she had at least one other thing in her favor; she was a very beautiful girl. She acquired an agent who succeeded in getting her a few commercials, then, in 1963, an audition for the TV series "Petticoat Junction" (1963). Producer Martin Ransohoff saw her on the set and took her under his wing. The star was a long time coming. Singing, dancing and acting lessons were interspersed with bit parts, usually wearing a black wig, in "Beverly Hillbillies, The" (1962), "Petticoat Junction" (1963), and two Ransohoff films, Americanization of Emily, The (1964) and Sandpiper, The (1965). While the latter film, co-starring Elizabeth Taylor (I) and Richard Burton (I), was being filmed in Big Sur, Sharon fell in love with the beautiful coastline. Whenever she wanted to get away from Hollywood, she fled there. Scrubbed of makeup, she would check into rustic Deetjen's Big Sur Inn, often alone, sometimes with girlfriends, and walk the trails, sun at the beach, and blend in with the regulars at Nepenthe. Many did not know, until after her death, that she was an actress. According to close friends, though Sharon looked like a starlet, she acted like one in the sense that she wasn't promiscuous. Her relationships were few, and rarely casual, at least on her part. She was attracted to dominant men. While in Hollywood, she had a long affair with French actor Philippe Forquet, and was engaged to him for a while. Shortly after that breakup, 1963, Jay Sebring spotted Sharon at a studio preview, had a friend introduce him to Sharon, and, after a brief and much publicized courtship, they became lovers, a relationship that lasted until she met Roman Polanski. It was 1965 before Ransohoff decided it was time to place Sharon in her first feature role, in _Eye of the Devil (1967)_ , which co-starred Deborah Kerr and David Niven (I). Listed seventh in the credits, Sharon played a country girl with bewitching powers. She had less than a dozen lines; her role was to look beautiful, which, of course, she did. This was to be the mainstay of almost all of her roles. Though set in France, the film was made in London, and it was there, in the summer of 1966, that she met Roman Polanski. They weren't impressed with each other at first, but Polanski wanted her in the lead female role of his film _Fearless Vampire Killers, The (1967)_. Sharon, again, played the role of looking beautiful with less than a dozen lines. Before filming was over, and after what was by Polanski's standards a very long courtship, Sharon and Roman became off-screen lovers, too. When Sebring flew to London, Sharon broke up with Sebring, and Jay transitioned to family friend. After the completion of Rosemary's Baby (1968) in 1967, Sharon and Roman were married on January 20, 1968 in London, to the surprise of Polanski's friends to whom he swore he would never remarry. Though Rosemary's Baby (1968) was successful, Sharon's own career stayed dormant. She had appeared semi-nude in the March 1967 issue of Playboy (Polanski himself took photos on the set of _Fearless Vampire Killers, The (1967)_. Though a number of reviewers commented on her striking looks, neither this nor two other films in which she played -- Don't Make Waves (1967) with Tony Curtis (I) and Claudia Cardinale (I), and Wrecking Crew, The (1969), with Dean Martin (I) -- brought her any closer to being a star. Her biggest role was as actress Jennifer in the 1967 film Valley of the Dolls (1967). Up until 1967, Sharon hadn't been given a single role which gave her the chance to bring out whatever acting ability she may have had, and nothing she could sink her teeth into. After she married Roman, Sharon's ambitions moved to second place when she learned she was to have a child. Her marriage and pregnancy became her whole universe. She redecorated the spare bedroom into a nursery for the coming baby, which was a boy, to be named Paul Richard Polanski. But that all ended on the night of August 8 - early morning of August 9 when, during a quiet night in with friends, 4 of Charles Manson's family minions creepy-crawled into her house at Ceilo Drive and violently murdered the occupants: Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring, coffee Heiress Abigail "Gibby" Folger, Gibby's boyfriend Woijech (Voytek) Frykowski and Steven Parent, a visitor of the caretaker, William Garretson. The baby Sharon carried died with her.