Phoebe Cates is known around these parts for having one of the absolute hottest nude scenes in the 1980s when she took off her red bikini top to show off her bare breasts in the one and only Fast Times at Ridgemont High. We talk about that movie sooooo much that you may have forgotten that Phoebe went nude other times throughout her career (before she retired from acting). Let's take a look at her other sexy roles.
In 1982, the barely-legal Phoebe starred in the film Paradise which was certainly a knockoff of TheBlue Lagoon about two teenagers learning to survive on their own on an island. In this version, Phoebe spends a lot of time nudely falling in love as one of two teens who have to flee to the desert and is then stuck trying to survive in the desert against the elements.
As I mentioned in a recent post about nudity in the early 1980s, Phoebe actually liked and wanted to go nude in the movie and she was upset that some of her scenes used a body double - something that she never agreed to or knew about while making the film. How wild is that? I personally love knowing that this upset Phoebe because it means that she was proud of her body and she wanted to show it off.
It makes sense then that the nudity-loving Phoebe Cates did Fast Times next and killed it with one of the most iconically sexy nude scenes of all time. Seriously - this scene still cannot be beat!
Private School came next and it is a favorite for lovers of 1980s nudity. Who could forget Betsy Russell toplessly riding a horse? Obviously, there was a lot more than that scene, like Phoebe Cates going nude, too. The film follows two boarding schools - one for girls and one for boys - and things get a little hilarious when two of the guys visit the girls' boarding school disguised as girls. Comedy ensues! As does nudity!
Let's go to the late 80s for Shag. She did not go nude in Shag, but as we talked about in a recent Female Filmmakers article about director Zelda Barron, Phoebe was in her bra and she looked beautiful.
After a stunning career of nudity and sex in the 80s, Phoebe slowed it down in the 90s. In fact, she actually retired after 1994's Princess Caraboo. She retired to focus on her family which she did until her kids were old enough and mommy could return to work. She made one film in 2001 and voiced a video game character in 2015, but other than that Phoebe has sadly stayed away from acting and has kept her clothes on.
Still, we can't forget Phoebe's amazing nudity career. Which of her nude scenes is your favorite? There are just SO many to choose from, but it's hard to beat a classic. One more time (who am I kidding? I'll watch this over and over again), let's take a look at her topless scene:
