SHE went through hell as Indiana Jones’ glamorous girlfriend in the 1984 classic Temple of Doom.
And 40 years on from the grisly adventure that saw her covered in creepy crawlies as she sought out the magical Sankara Stone with archaeologist Indy, Kate Capshaw appears to have discovered the fountain of youth.
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The age-defying actress, 70, who has been married to Temple of Doom director Steven Spielberg for 33 years, last acted in 1999 but still appears on the director’s arm at red carpet events.
Whether it’s the Oscars or a premiere, Kate is never anything but elegant and has changed up her hairstyles over the years to remain on trend – from a voluminous perm, to long flowing locks and a stylish choppy short ‘do.
The famous couple have seven children between them, three from before they became a couple.
Kate had daughter Jessica with ex-husband Bob, and the pair also adopted a boy called Theo. Spielberg, meanwhile, had a son called Max with ex-wife Amy Irving.
They have had three biological children together in the 90s – Sasha, Sawyer and Destry. They also adopted a daughter called Mikaela too.
The devoted pair have developed the perfect partnership over the years with Kate ensuring the family is operating smoothly while Steven devotes his time to his films.
She said: “We’re always pushing our own envelopes.”
“He operates his jet — a camera and a story. My jet is the family. I might not be comfortable pushing the limits in film the way he does, and he might not be as comfortable pushing the limits of our family. But I get to be the frontierswoman here, and he gets to be the frontiersman there.”
The pair met through the Indiana Jones sequel, though didn’t become an item until five years after its release when Steven had separated from Amy.
It was a surprising love story given the lengths Kate had to go to in the memorable action film.
She was famously caked in bugs as she made her way through a dark caving system; a marginally better option than the snakes that were originally proposed.
At first, Steven and the crew tried to help Kate overcome her phobia of snakes but it quickly became apparent it just wasn’t going to happen.
Kate said: “I went over and looked at it, and looking at it, I get tears in my eyes and I’m having a hard time breathing and I’m looking… I can almost work myself up right now. And I went over and I put my hand on the snake, and I lost it.”
Steven said: “She was shaking and she was all white, and you could see right through her makeup. She had lost all of her color. And I said, ‘I’m not gonna put you through this. Let’s cut it out.’ And I cut the whole scene out of the movie. I think she probably years and years later, married me for that!”
When it was time to shoot the bug scene, Kate took a relaxant in order to complete the job, such were her nerves.
She explained: “I came to the set, and I was like [languid] ‘Hi, Steven!’ He said ‘We’re gonna do the bugs.’ I said [languid] ‘Okay.’ He said ‘I’ll stand with you.’ [languid] ‘Okay.’ He said ‘Stand here and we’re gonna pour some bugs on top of you.’ [languid] ‘Alright. Where will they be coming from?’ ‘Well, we’re gonna pour a bunch of buckets of bugs from up above you… it’s gonna be several buckets.’ [languid] ‘Okay.’ That’s how I was the entire day.”
These days Kate works as a painter having picked up brushes in 2009.
Last year she showcased her Unaccompanied portrait exhibition, shining a spotlight on homeless youths living in major US cities.
She was introduced to her subjects through charitable organisations.
The former actress, who was once a special education teacher, revealed the advice she gives wealthy friends and associates when they ask how they can make a difference.
She told ARTnews: “Rich people always ask, ‘what can I do to help? Where do I send money?’ And I always tell them. Keep the money and foster a child. That’s the best way to help. Community is everything. I couldn’t have done this work without the help of a wonderful community and there are thousands of kids out there that just want somewhere they can feel safe.”
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