Actress Shirley Temple Dies At Age 85

The former child star was America's top box office draw from 1935 to 1938. She later served as a diplomat.

By
Cate Sevilla
by Cate Sevilla

BuzzFeed Staff, UK

Shirley Temple Black died Monday at age 85, her family confirmed.

Temple died of natural causes at her Woodside, Calif., home, the Associated Press reported.

"We salute her for a life of remarkable achievements as an actor, as a diplomat, and most importantly as our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and adored wife for fifty-five years of the late and much missed Charles Alden Black," a family statement said.

She was best known for starring as a child in the '30s in films such as Stand Up, Bright Eyes, Cheer, and Curly Top.

She also had a drink named after her: ginger ale and grenadine, topped with a maraschino cherry.

Temple starred in a total of 43 feature films, and was even awarded a special juvenile Oscar in 1935.

Via miss-shirley-temple.tumblr.com

To this day she is the youngest person to have been awarded an Academy Award.

Temple later became active in politics and held several diplomatic posts in Republican administrations, including ambassador to Czechoslovakia.

During a 1996 interview, she said she loved both politics and show business.

"It's certainly two different career tracks," she said. "Both completely different but both very rewarding, personally."

Skip to footer