This Day in Horror History: POLTERGEIST Actress Zelda Rubinstein Was Born in 1933

On this day in horror history, Poltergeist and Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon actress Zelda Rubinstein was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1933.

Most famous around these parts for her role as Tangina Barrons in Poltergeist, Poltergeist II: The Other Side, and Poltergeist III, she is also known for roles such as Mrs. Collinwood in Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon and Dr. Katarina Kuntzler in Southland Tales. Not to mention the classic Tales from the Crypt episode “The New Arrival” with David Warner and Robert Patrick.

The youngest of three children, she stood 4 feet 3 inches due to a deficiency of the anterior pituitary gland, which produces growth hormone. Rubinstein became active in the fight against HIV/AIDS in 1984 and attended the first AIDS Project Los Angeles AIDS Walk, later admitting that she did “pay a price, career-wise.”

RELATED: Rest in Peace: Zelda Rubinstein

Rubinstein died on January 27, 2010, at 76. She never recovered from a mild heart attack suffered several months earlier. Per her request, no funeral was held.

What’s your favorite Zelda Rubinstein role? Make sure to hit us up and let us know what you think in the comments below or over on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Mine is (obviously?) Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg’s Poltergeist with JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, and Heather O’Rourke. It centers on strange and creepy happenings that beset an average California family when ghosts commune with them through the television set. Initially friendly and playful, the spirits turn menacing, and they must turn to a parapsychologist and an exorcist for help.

The modern horror classic sports an 85% approval rating over on Rotten Tomatoes with a Critics Consensus that reads: Smartly filmed, tightly scripted, and — most importantly — consistently frightening, Poltergeist is a modern horror classic.

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