Sandra Dee Biography: Parents, Siblings, Age, Net Worth, Height, Ethnicity, Children, Husband, Obituary, Films

Alexandra Cymboliak Zuck, professionally known as Sandra Dee, was an American actress and model celebrated for portraying wholesome ingénues in 1950s and 1960s cinema.

She began her career as a child model before transitioning to film as a teenager, earning a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her role in Until They Sail (1957).

Dee became a teen idol with iconic films like Gidget and A Summer Place (1959).

She briefly returned to the screen in the 1970 horror film The Dunwich Horror and appeared sporadically on television throughout the 1970s and early 1980s.

Profile

• Full Name: Alexandra Cymboliak Zuck
• Stage Name: Sandra Dee
• Born: April 23, 1942
• Died: February 20, 2005
• Age: 62 years old
• Birthplace: Bayonne, New Jersey, United States
• Nationality: American
• Occupation: American actress and model
• Height: 1.63 m
• Parent: Mary (née Cymboliak) and John Zuck.
• Siblings: Unknown
• Spouse: Bobby Darin (m. 1960–1967)
• Children: Dodd Mitchell Darin
• Relationship: Divorced
• Net Worth: $1 million

Early Life And Education

Alexandra Cymboliak Zuck was born on April 23, 1942, in Bayonne, New Jersey, to Mary (née Cymboliak) and John Zuck. She was their only child and had no siblings.

Alexandra attended the Professional Children’s School in New York City, an institution designed to support young performers in balancing their education with their careers. She is of Ukrainian descent, she was raised in a Christian household.

Career

Sandra Dee began her career in the spotlight as a child model at 12. Her success in modeling quickly opened doors to Hollywood, leading to her film debut in Until They Sail (1957). The role earned her a Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer, launching her as one of the most promising young actresses of her time.

Her breakthrough came in 1959 with a trio of successful films: Gidget, A Summer Place, and Imitation of Life. These performances established Dee as a teen idol and cultural icon, with A Summer Place becoming especially memorable for its romantic themes and popular soundtrack.

She married singer and actor Bobby Darin in 1960, and the couple starred together in films such as If a Man Answers (1962) and That Funny Feeling (1965), further enhancing her public appeal.

Despite her early success, Dee’s popularity declined in the mid-1960s. Personal challenges, including her divorce from Darin in 1967 and the end of her contract with Universal Pictures, contributed to the downturn in her career.

She briefly returned to film with The Dunwich Horror (1970) and appeared sporadically on television throughout the 1970s and early 1980s but gradually stepped away from the public eye.

Social Media

Sandra Dee does not have a social media account.

Personal Life

Sandra Dee married singer and actor Bobby Darin on December 1, 1960, after meeting on the set of Come September. They had one son, Dodd Mitchell Darin, born in 1961. Despite early affection, their marriage was strained by personal and professional challenges, leading to their divorce in 1967.

Dee remained emotionally affected by Darin’s death in 1973. She passed away on February 20, 2005, at age 62, due to complications from kidney disease, which had required dialysis in her final years.

Filmography

• Until They Sail (1957)
• The Snow Queen (1957, English dub)
• The Reluctant Debutante (1958)
• The Restless Years (1958)
• A Stranger in My Arms (1959)
• Gidget (1959)
• Imitation of Life (1959)
• The Wild and the Innocent (1959)
• A Summer Place (1959)
• Portrait in Black (1960)
• Romanoff and Juliet (1961)
• Tammy Tell Me True (1961)
• Come September (1961)
• A Man Could Get Killed (1966)
• Doctor, You’ve Got to Be Kidding! (1967)
• Rosie! (1967)
• The Dunwich Horror (1970)
• The Manhunter (1972 TV film)
• The Daughters of Joshua Cabe (1972, TV film)
• Houston, We’ve Got a Problem (1974, TV film)
• Fantasy Island (1977, TV film)
• Lost (1983)

Net Worth

Sandra Dee’s estimated net Worth was around $1 million when she passed in 2005. Her earnings came primarily from a successful acting career, highlighted by iconic films such as Gidget and A Summer Place, brand endorsements, and residuals from her film and television work.