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The Phoebe Cates Photo Collection

Quotes from Phoebe at age 19

"Kids today are much more independent than their parents were," she said. "We're really into getting jobs and we mature sexually much earlier than a generation ago. Or, at least, we are involved in sex earlier."

"Sex, language and nudity aren't the social barriers they used to be. The words that shock our parents are meaningless to us. In our grandparents' time the word 'damn' was shocking but not to our parents."

"So when I say (bleep) today, it doesn't mean any more to me or my friends than 'damn' meant to my parents."

"Young people are more sophisticated today, thanks to magazines and movies and even porno cable television. As a New Yorker I think I've matured faster than other young people. I'm street smart."

"Nudity for the sake of comedy doesn't make you squirm," she explained. "There's a scene in 'Private School' where we all moon. It might shock our elders, but a bunch of nude backsides is funny, not sexy."

"I think kids, especially girls, have much healthier attitudes about our bodies these days. We accept them now without a lot of giggling."

"I was only 17 when I did my nude scenes in 'Paradise.' They were serious and more difficult because they were not easily justified. But the topless scene in 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' was funny, which made it easy."

"I'm probably a little more advanced than some teenagers because I'm an actress, but most of the time I'm pretty typical of girls my age. I'm just more visible."