Tanya Roberts
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It was a great thrill to meet Bond-girl and Charlie's Angel, Tanya Roberts, at Autographica held in London in September 2010. She signed my Bond girls book, my menu and also a photograph of her as Stacey Sutton.
I also sat next to her at the Gala dinner, which was a wonderful experience. At the end, I gave Tanya my red carnation and she gave me a big kiss in return. Truly an evening to remember!
Victoria Leigh Blum was born in The Bronx, New York, in 1954. Her Irish father was a pen salesman and her mother was Jewish. She also has an older sister Barbara. As a wild and rebellious girl, Victoria dropped out of high school when she was 15 years old, married a boy she had fallen in love with, and hitch-hiked around the
Tanya took up golf in 2007, and plays regularly in ProAm tournaments and charity events.
Tanya Roberts & Richard Kline in
Tanya Roberts in California Dreaming
Lee Strasberg in
The Godfather
the States with him until her mother tracked them down and had the marriage annulled!
With a desire to go into acting, she returned to New York, studied with the legendary acting guru Lee Strasberg, worked as a dance instructor, modelled for TV commercials (Ultra Br
Tanya Roberts
Brite toothpaste & Clairol shampoo) and appeared in theatre productions.
Several months after meeting a psychology student, Barry Roberts, she proposed to him in a subway station and, after they were married in 1974,,
1974, Victoria changed her first name to Tanya. Their marriage would last 32 years until his death in 2004.
Barry and Tanya Roberts in 1979
They moved to Los Angeles hoping for work in Hollywood - he as a screenwriter, she as an actress. Tanya's film debut was as Nancy Ulman in Forced Entry (1975) one of the
the most violent horror thrillers ever made, so violent that it was banned in the UK. Several minor film roles followed, like Stephanie in California Dreaming (1979) and Becky in Tourist Trap (1979) were to follow, along with some TV movies like Zuma Beach (1978) and Pleasure Cove (1979).
Her first big break came when she was chosen from more than 2000 candidates for the role of Julie Rogers (to replace Shelley Hack's character) in the 1980 season of Cha
Tanya Roberts & Cheryl Ladd in
Tanya Roberts in Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels
Tanya Roberts in Tourist Trap
Charlie's Angels. The show, however, was past its prime, and was cancelled after Tanya had appeared in only 16 episodes.
As Julie Rogers in Charlie's Angels
Tanya on the cover of
Playboy (October 1982)
Tanya with Jaclyn Smith & Cheryl Ladd - Charlie's Angels
The attention she got from Charlie's Angels led to Tanya landing the significant film roles of slave-girl Kiri in The Beastmaster (1982) (also po
Tanya Roberts & Marc Singer in
Tanya Roberts in the title role of Sheena
posing for Playboy magazine to promote the film) and the title role in Sheena (1984). In this she appears as a scantily-clad 'female Tarzan' protecting her African jungle home from evil land barons. She spent six months on location in Kenya filming this.
The Beastmaster
Tanya as Kiri in The Beastmaster
CD of the soundtrack to Sheena
In between these two films, Tanya played Velda, Mike Hammer's sexy secretary in the made-for-TV Murder Me, Murder You (1983) starring Stacy Keach as Mike Hammer. Other commitments prevented her from appearing in the follow up series.
As Velda in Murder Me, Murder You
Tanya Roberts & Grace Jones in
A View to a Kill
Tanya as Stacey Sutton in
A View to a Kill
although she looked gorgeous, she quite unfairly received a 'Razzie' nomination!
Tanya has signed this photo to me.
It shows her as Stacey Sutton in A View to a Kill
"For Ciaran, it was great meeting you and I wish you
Roger Moore & Tanya Roberts in A View to a Kill
The films Body Slam (1987) and Purgatory (1988) did little to enhance her reputation as an actress, despite her having the lead role in each, whilst Ladies Game (1991), originally titled Legal Tender and written by her husband Barry Roberts, was not a box office success.
The following year, Tanya starred in the sex comedy Almost Pregnant (1992)about a woman desperate to conceive. Tanya's next two films were also soft-porn - the erotic thrillers Sins of Desire (1993) and Deep Down (1994).
Tanya Roberts on the poster
for Sins of Desire
Tanya Roberts in Almost Pregnant
That 70s Show
She then concentrated more on TV work with appearances in Burke's Law (1994) and Hot Line (1994-96). She eventually hit a new high with a regular role in the comedy series That '70s Show in which she played the zany, but loveable, mum Midge Pinc
all the best in your future acting career. Love Tanya."
Pinciotti in 78 episodes from 1998 until 2004. She left the serie
She is also into clothing design with a range of fitted vests available in leather or suede, of which a portion of the profits go to the Save the Mustang Foundation.
Tanya could well be seen on the big screen again before long when she appears in Queen
Tanya modelling one of
her 'vests'
series because of her husband's illness - he died in 2006.
Queens of the World (a film about women's soccer) which, at the end of 2010, is in pre-production.
Tanya signing my photograph
Tanya playing golf at Indian Wells
I sat next to Tanya at the Autographica Gala Dinner in September 2010
Link toTanya's official website
Click
Save the Mustang Foundation website
Tanya was then cast as Bond girl Stacey Sutton in Roger Moore's last Bond film A View to a Kill (1985). This should have boosted her career, but her character was somewhat overshadowed by May Day, the wild woman played by Grace Jones. Tanya's very feminine character
character in the film was not a dominant one, and al
