Zelda Rubinstein

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Zelda Rubinstein

Born	Exact date of birth unknown; likely May 28, 1933 (1933-05-28) (age 75) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

Zelda Rubinstein (exact date of birth unknown; either 1933^[1]^[2] or 1936^[3]) is an American actress, known as eccentric medium Tangina Barrons in the movies Poltergeist (1982) and its sequels, Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986), and Poltergeist III (1988). She also made guest appearances in the TV spin-off Poltergeist: The Legacy (1996), as a seer, Christina.

Rubinstein was born in Pittsburgh and attended the University of California and the University of Pittsburgh.^[4] She stands just 4 feet 3 inches (130 cm) due to a deficiency of the anterior pituitary gland, which produces growth hormone. Commenting in 2002 on the challenges of being a very short statured person, Rubinstein said, "Little People are societally handicapped. They have about two minutes to present themselves as equals—and if they don’t take advantage of that chance, then people fall back on the common assumption that 'less' is less."^[5]

She entered the film industry comparatively late, upon returning to the United States after living in Europe for several years, in the early 1980s. Poltergeist was her first major film role. She has remained active in film ever since, frequently portraying various psychic characters. She is also the spooky-voiced announcer on the television series, Scariest Places on Earth, which airs in the US on ABC Family and in Canada on YTV.

Rubinstein's other major film roles include Cages, Sixteen Candles, Teen Witch, The Wildcard, and National Lampoon's Last Resort. She has also done voice-over work for TV including Hey Arnold!, and The Flintstones. She has made numerous guest appearances on network TV shows, including Caroline in the City, Mr. Belvedere, and had a starring role on Picket Fences. She also appeared in an episode of Tales From The Crypt in which she played the mother of a girl who has been dead for 40 years.