- Attended La Serna High School in Whittier, California (Class of 1968).
- The middle of three daughters in her family.
- Best-known for her roles on The Dean Martin Show (1965) in the early 1970s (as part of The Golddiggers and The Ding-a-Ling Sisters, under her stage name "Tara Leigh") and as Alex Quartermaine on General Hospital (1963) in the early 1980s (under her real name, Renee Anderson).
- Trained vocalist (operatic soprano).
- Born Renee Smith in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and raised in Whittier, California, having moved there at a young age.
- One of two young women hired to join The Golddiggers troupe from several hundred who auditioned in early 1970.
- Performed early in her career under the stage name Tara Leigh, notably as a member of singing/dancing quartet The Dingaling Sisters (an offshoot of The Golddiggers) on The Dean Martin Show (1965) in the early 1970s. Her stage name took inspiration from Gone with the Wind (1939): Tara is the name of Scarlett O'Hara's family plantation, and Vivien Leigh portrayed Scarlett in the 1939 film.
- Moved to Hollywood in 1968 and was "discovered" by songwriter Jimmy McHugh, who took over as her music coach until his death in 1969.
- Owns a Siberian husky named Kiska.
- Performed in La Serna High School's production of "Brigadoon" as a teenager in Whittier, California, and later performed in musical theater productions in Los Angeles and New York City (debuting on Broadway in "A Chorus Line").
- Began a post-acting career as an executive assistant for corporations including Playboy Enterprises (1989-2008), Starbrands Capital (2010-2012), and C3 Entertainment (2012- ).
- After her acting career, she pursued her passion for fine art by concentrating her energies on abstract painting and photography.
- The fan website "Dean, Golds, and Dings" regularly marks the birthdays of former Golddiggers and Ding-a-Ling Sisters with tributes on its Facebook page, and annually celebrates Renee Anderson's/Tara Leigh's birthday in November. However, the actual date of the birthday celebration has shifted over the years, from November 22 (in posts from 2011-2016) to November 12 (in posts from 2018-2020).
- Trained in classical ballet in her youth, and danced with the Whittier Civic Ballet in her hometown of Whittier, California.
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