At the very end of last year, we were privy to the sad news that Zelda Rubinstein – forever to be remembered for her role as Tangina in POLTERGEIST – was ailing. The inevitable has arrived, and it’s unfortunate that I have to report Zelda has passed. She was 76.
Her agent confirmed the news that the tiny actress died today of natural causes at Barlow Respiratory Hospital in Los Angeles. In recent years, Rubinstein appeared in a couple of geek-friends flicks: Richard Kelly’s SOUTHLAND TALES and Scott Glosserman’s BEHIND THE MASK. She was a notable fixture on television, narrating “The Scariest Places on Earth”, appearing in numerous episodes of the beloved “Picket Fences”, and grabbing a memorable supporting role in a particularly creepy “Tales From The Crypt” episode called “The New Arrival.”
Of course, she’ll always have a place in movie-lovers’ hearts as the gentle but strong-willed medium in Tobe Hooper’s immortal POLTERGEIST. Almost every line of Tangina’s dialog is quotable, and it’s a role that, in hindsight, couldn’t possibly be played by someone else.
I had the extreme pleasure of interviewing Zelda in 2007 for the release of the POLTERGEIST special edition. She was funny and informative, just as you’d expect (among other things, she revealed that Steven Spielberg essentially “took over” for all of her scenes). Zelda, you’ll be missed.
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