Zelda Rubinstein (exact date of birth unknown; either 1933 or 1936) is an American actress, best known as eccentric medium Tangina Barrons in the movies Poltergeist (1982) and its sequels, Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986), and Poltergeist III (1988). She also made guest appearances in the TV spin-off Poltergeist: The Legacy (1996), as a seer, Christina.
Biography
Rubinstein was born in Pittsburgh and attended the University of California and the University of Pittsburgh. She stands just 4 feet 3 inches (130 cm) due to a deficiency of the anterior pituitary gland, which produces growth hormone. Commenting in 2002 on the challenges of being a very short statured person, Rubinstein said, "Little People are societally handicapped. They have about two minutes to present themselves as equals—and if they don’t take advantage of that chance, then people fall back on the common assumption that 'less' is less."
She entered the film industry comparatively late, upon returning to the United States after living in Europe for several years, in the early 1980s. Poltergeist was her first major film role. She has remained active in film ever since, frequently portraying various psychic characters. She is also the spooky-voiced announcer on the television series, Scariest Places on Earth, which airs in the US on ABC Family and in Canada on YTV.
Rubinstein's other major film roles include Cages, Sixteen Candles, Teen Witch, The Wildcard, Southland Tales and National Lampoon's Last Resort. She has also done voice-over work for TV including Hey Arnold!, and The Flintstones. She has made numerous guest appearances on network TV shows, including Caroline in the City, Mr. Belvedere, and had a starring role on Picket Fences. She also appeared in an episode of Tales From The Crypt in which she played the mother of a girl who has been dead for 40 years.
More recently, she has done voiceovers in television commercials promoting movies such as Lady in the Water and products including Skittles candy. Her most recent film role came in 2007 when she made a cameo appearance in the horror film "Behind The Mask : The Rise of Leslie Vernon".
References
^ "NNDB: Zelda Rubinstein".
^ "IMDb: Zelda Rubinstein".
^ "FilmReference.com: Zelda Rubinstein Biography (1936-)".
^ "Yahoo! Movies: Zelda Rubinstein Biography".
^ Thomas-Matej, Elisabeth (2002). "What's in a Diagnosis? A Medical Biography of Michael Dunn". NCTC.net. Retrieved on 2008-06-08.
External links
Zelda Rubinstein at the Internet Movie Database
Zelda Rubinstein at the Voice Chasers Database (as Zelda Rubenstein)
This article about a United States film actor born in the 1930s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
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Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zelda_Rubinstein"
Categories: 1933 births | Actors from Pittsburgh | Actors with dwarfism | American film actors | American television actors | Living people | American film actor, 1930s birth stubsHidden category: Vague or ambiguous time
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