Child star Shirley Temple has passed away, according to publicist Cheryl Kagan. She was 85.
Temple, known in private life as Shirley Temple Black, died at her home near San Francisco.
A talented and ultra-adorable entertainer, Shirley Temple was America’s top box-office draw from 1935 to 1938, a record no other child star has come near. She beat out such grown-ups as Clark Gable, Bing Crosby, Robert Taylor, Gary Cooper and Joan Crawford.
Audiences lost interest, so she retired from films at 21. She raised a family and later became active in politics and held several diplomatic posts in Republican administrations, including ambassador to Czechoslovakia during the historic collapse of communism in 1989.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.