Walk into a specific storefront on Madison Avenue, and you might see a woman with dark hair and a familiar smile shelving high-end Sicilian soaps or debating the merits of a vintage LP. She isn't a ghost. She isn't hiding. But she is definitely not in Hollywood anymore.
Phoebe Cates today is a far cry from the red-bikini-clad Linda Barrett or the terrified Kate Beringer fleeing Gremlins. Honestly, she seems totally fine with that. While most stars of her era are busy filming reality TV reboots or chasing "legacy" sequels, Cates basically pulled the ultimate Irish goodbye on the film industry three decades ago.
She's 61 now. Or 62, depending on when you’re reading this in 2026. Either way, she’s successfully pulled off the rarest feat in show business: she became more famous for leaving than most people do for staying.
The Madison Avenue General Store
Since 2005, her world has centered on Blue Tree. It’s her boutique on the Upper East Side. The name was actually her husband Kevin Kline’s idea—a nod to Fauvist paintings where things aren't exactly what they seem.
It’s not some vanity project. It’s a "general store" curated by someone with a very specific, slightly eccentric eye. You’ll find stuff like:
- Neon-sanded hourglasses.
- Hand-marbled notebooks.
- Eclectic jewelry that costs more than a used car.
- Oddball novelty socks.
People often walk in, squint at her, and say, "You know, you look a lot like Phoebe Cates." Her go-to response? "I get that a lot." It's a classic move. It keeps the barrier between her former life and her current reality just thick enough to breathe.
That "Hollywood" Marriage (That Isn't)
You can’t talk about Phoebe Cates today without mentioning Kevin Kline. They’ve been married since 1989. In celebrity years, that’s basically three centuries.
What’s the secret? Kline actually joked about it recently at a film festival. He said if a Hollywood marriage lasts six months, you’re in the Guinness Book of World Records. Their "secret" is pretty simple: they don’t live in Hollywood. They haven't for a long time. They raised their kids in New York, far away from the paparazzi-choked streets of Los Angeles.
They met back in 1982 at an audition for The Big Chill. She didn't get the part (it went to Meg Tilly), but she got the guy. There's a 16-year age gap there, which people used to gossip about, but 35+ years of marriage tends to shut the skeptics up.
The Choice to Quit
There’s a lot of myth-making around why she stopped acting after 1994’s Princess Caraboo. People want a dramatic reason. A breakdown. A scandal.
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The truth is much more boring, which makes it kind of fascinating. She just liked being a mom more than she liked being a movie star. She and Kevin had an agreement: they’d alternate jobs so someone was always home with the kids. But when it was Phoebe’s turn to work, she usually just... didn't.
She wasn't "driven" by it. She told People once that even her modeling days were just for the money. She didn't need the applause.
The Next Generation
Her kids, Owen and Greta, are in their 30s now. They didn't exactly run away from the family business, but they didn't go the blockbuster route either.
- Owen Kline: He was the kid in The Squid and the Whale. Now, he’s a director and cartoonist. He directed Funny Pages (2022), which is a gritty, indie gem that looks nothing like a "Hollywood" film.
- Greta Kline: You might know her as Frankie Cosmos. She’s a major force in the indie-pop scene. 2024 marked the 10th anniversary of her debut album, Zentropy.
The family still does Sunday dinners. They’re normal. Well, as normal as a family can be when the dad is an Oscar winner and the mom is an 80s legend.
What’s Next for Phoebe?
Don't hold your breath for Gremlins 3. Aside from a quick favor for her best friend Jennifer Jason Leigh in 2001’s The Anniversary Party, she’s stayed retired.
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If you want to "see" her, your best bet is to visit Blue Tree at 1283 Madison Avenue. She’s often there. She isn't doing it for the "gram" or to stay relevant. She’s doing it because she likes the shop.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans:
- Visit Blue Tree: If you're in NYC, go. It's a legitimate boutique with a world-class curation. It’s located in Carnegie Hill.
- Support the Kids: Check out Greta’s music (Frankie Cosmos) or Owen’s film Funny Pages. They are carrying the creative torch in a way that feels very authentic to the family's "anti-Hollywood" brand.
- Appreciate the Silence: In an era where every celebrity is oversharing on TikTok, there is something deeply cool about Phoebe Cates just living her life.
She proved that you can be an icon, walk away at the height of your beauty and fame, and actually be happy. That's the real legacy.