Sharon Tate was a person.
Sharon Marie Tate Polanski ( January 24 , 1943 -- August 9 , 1969 ) was an American actress and model . During the 1960s , she played small television roles before appearing in films and was regularly featured in fashion magazines as a model and cover girl . She made her film debut in 1966 with the occult-themed Eye of the Devil . A book by Tate 's sister , Debra Tate , titled Sharon Tate : Recollection , was released in 2014 .