Tanya Roberts
She brought a fearless, earthy glamour to roles from a jungle queen to a Bond girl, becoming a beloved pop culture fixture.
1955–2021 (age 66)·American actress·Birthday: October 15·Baby Boomers
Biography
Tanya Roberts carved a unique path through 1980s and 1990s screen culture, embodying a specific kind of adventurous heroine. Born in the Bronx, she began her career with modeling and bit parts before landing the iconic role of Sheena, a jungle queen who communicated with animals, which cemented her status as a syndicated television star. Her turn as geologist Stacey Sutton in the James Bond film 'A View to a Kill' placed her in the grand tradition of Bond heroines, though she brought a distinctive, resourceful energy to the part. Later generations knew her best as Midge Pinciotti, the sweetly naive next-door neighbor on 'That '70s Show,' a role that showcased her comedic timing. Her career, spanning pulpy adventure, big-budget spy thrillers, and network sitcoms, reflects the evolving landscape of American television and film.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Tanya was born in 1955, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Tanya Was Born
The biggest hits of 1955
#1 Movie
Lady and the Tramp
Best Picture
Marty
#1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Tanya's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1955Born
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1960Started school
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1968Became a teenager
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1971Could drive
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1973Could vote
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Turned 21
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1985Turned 30
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 40
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 50
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 60
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2021Died at 66
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
Key Achievements
- Starred as the titular heroine in the television series 'Sheena: Queen of the Jungle,' one of the first female-led action shows of its kind.
- Played Bond girl Stacey Sutton opposite Roger Moore in 'A View to a Kill.'
- Portrayed Julie Rogers in the final season of the iconic series 'Charlie's Angels.'
- Gained a new generation of fans as Midge Pinciotti on the hit sitcom 'That '70s Show.'
Did You Know?
She was a trained dancer and attended the Actors Studio.
Her role in 'The Beastmaster' required her to work extensively with a live ferret.
She was originally considered for the role of Maya in the TV series 'Space: 1999.'
For a period in the early 2000s, many news outlets erroneously reported her death, which was later corrected.
“I'm not a damsel in distress; I'm the one causing the distress.”
