Tanya Roberts built one of the most visually striking careers in Hollywood during the late 1970s and 1980s. She was an actress, producer, and model whose face appeared on television screens and movie posters across America. Before any of that happened, though, she was a teenager from the Bronx who had no roadmap to stardom — just determination and a willingness to reinvent herself.
Roberts dropped out of school at 15 and got married young, hitchhiking across the country with her husband until her mother-in-law had the marriage annulled. She eventually made her way back to New York City, where she began working as a fashion model. It was during that time she met Barry Roberts, a psychology student. The two fell in love and married within a few months. Their marriage lasted 30 years, until Barry’s death.
Roberts was serious about building an acting career, not just a modeling one. She spent five full years in voice training specifically to remove her Bronx accent. That kind of discipline set the tone for how she approached the industry. She also appeared in off-Broadway productions to sharpen her stage presence before making her film debut in the 1975 horror thriller “Forced Entry.”
The year 1980 was the turning point. Roberts joined the cast of “Charlie’s Angels” as Julie Rogers in the show’s fifth and final season. The role put her in front of millions of viewers and gave her name real recognition. She stepped into a franchise that already had a massive following, and she carried her part with confidence.
During her time on the show, Roberts worked alongside Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd. The three appeared together both on screen and at public events throughout the early 1980s, and photos from that period show a cast that was clearly at ease with one another.
Roberts was also a regular presence at Hollywood events and premieres during this time. Her style in front of the camera — whether on a set or at a public appearance — was consistently polished. The early 1980s saw her become one of the more photographed actresses of her era.
In 1982, Roberts took on the lead role in “The Beastmaster,” a fantasy adventure film that became a cult classic. It was a physically demanding production, and her performance helped anchor the film. Around this same period, she continued to appear at events and photoshoots, maintaining a high public profile.
By 1983, Roberts was attending major Hollywood premieres and award shows. She appeared at the First Annual American Video Awards and was spotted regularly at Spago, the celebrity hotspot in West Hollywood. That same year, she promoted her upcoming film “Sheena” through an exclusive photo session.
“Sheena” arrived in 1984 and featured Roberts in the title role — a woman raised in Africa with the power to communicate with animals. The film was shot on location and required Roberts to work with live animals, including lions. It was one of the most ambitious productions of her career and put her at the center of a major studio release.
That same year, Roberts was cast as Stacey Sutton in the James Bond film “A View to a Kill” (1985), starring opposite Roger Moore. The Bond franchise was one of the biggest film series in the world, and landing a role as the lead Bond girl was a significant achievement. She also worked alongside Grace Jones during production, who played the film’s villain.
By the mid-1980s, Roberts was a well-established name in Hollywood. She continued to attend events, dine at celebrity haunts like Spago, and appear in photo sessions that showed the full range of her on-camera presence. Her look during this period — from formal event appearances to candid restaurant shots — reflected a woman fully in her element.
Roberts and her husband Barry were a steady presence at industry events well into the later years of her career. They attended award shows and network parties together, presenting the image of a couple that had built a life around the entertainment world without being consumed by it.
Roberts played her final on-screen role in 2005 in the film “Barbershop.” After that, she stepped away from the entertainment industry entirely and returned to a private life in New York City. She was also known for her love of animals, a passion she carried openly throughout her later years.
On December 24, 2020, Roberts collapsed while walking her dogs and was rushed to the hospital. She died on January 5, 2021, at the age of 65. Her companion, Lance O’Brien, confirmed her death. She tested negative for Covid-19, and the official cause of death was not publicly determined.
