Temple was a Hollywood child actress who rose to fame in the 30s

Feb 11, 2014 12:18 GMT  ·  By

Shirley Temple Black, or simply Shirley Temple, as she was known to fans, has died as the age of 85. The actress is said to have passed away in her home in Woodside, California, near San Francisco, surrounded by her family.

Fox News quotes her publicist, Cheryl Kagan, who gave confirmation of the actress' passing.

To most people, she has remained in public consciousness as a dimpled, curly-haired young girl, who starred in several films in the 1930s that gained her international fame.

She went on to star in 23 films during a black time for film-making during the Depression years, when her cheerful personality managed to bring people to cinemas across the country. Temple actually managed to become the most popular movie star in America between 1935 and 1939, outdoing screen legend Clark Gable.

It was her popularity that is credited to have saved 20th Century Fox from bankruptcy. During the height of her fame, she is said to have received more mail than Greta Garbo and be photographed more than President Roosevelt.

Born in 1928 in Santa Monica, California, Temple got an early start in her acting career, but performing in so-called “Baby Burlesques,” which were basically one-reel film spoofs.

Her early start sadly turned into an early retirement, when, at the age of 22 she quit the movie industry, after audiences lost interest. Temple then switched careers and became an active Republican fund-raiser.

Her political career took off when she was appointed a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly by President Nixon in 1969. She later managed to get the position of ambassador to Ghana (1974-1976) and later to Czechoslovakia in 1989, during the fall of the Iron Curtain.

She often credited her success in politics with her acting skills, claiming that politicians were also actors of sorts.

Her family has released a statement saying, “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 55 years of the late and much missed Charles Alden Black.”