Born Victoria Leigh Blum in 1955, Tanya Roberts grew up in New York City and Toronto, and prior to acting was a fashion model. It was after she got married that she started to pursue performing, and she made her big screen debut in a 1975 horror film titled Forced Entry. In 1981 she joined the cast of Charlie’s Angels in its fifth and final season, replacing star Shelley Hack and winning a role that was sought by thousands of actresses. Winning that part quickly led to more significant feature roles including 1982’s The Beastmaster (which featured her as the female lead, Kira), and 1984’s Sheena – in which she starred as the titular queen of the jungle. She additionally appeared in episodes of 1980s television staples The Love Boat and Fantasy Island.