Mary Woronov (born December 8, 1943) is an American actress, writer, and figurative painter. She is primarily known as a cult film star because of her work with Andy Warhol and her roles in Roger Corman's cult films. Woronov has appeared in over 80 movies and on stage at Lincoln Center and off-Broadway productions as well as numerous times in mainstream American TV series, such as Charlie's Angels and Knight Rider. She frequently co-starred with friend Paul Bartel; the pair appeared in 17 films together, often playing a married couple.
Early life Woronov was born December 8, 1943, in the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, while it was temporarily operating as the Ream General Hospital during World War II. Woronov was born premature and doctors initially did not believe she would survive infancy.
At a young age, she relocated with her mother to Brooklyn Heights in New York City, where her mother married Victor D. Woronov, a Jewish cancer surgeon in 1949; they settled as a family and her stepfather legally adopted her. She has stated that she does not know the identity of her biological father. She has one younger half-brother, Victor, who was born on her eighth birthday.
Woronov studied art and sculpting at Cornell University, where she met and befriended artist Gerard Malanga in 1963.
Acting career 1966–1973: Early work and collaborations with Andy Warhol Malanga, who was Andy Warhol's assistant at the time, asked Woronov if she would be in a movie he was making. Later, while on a Cornell-sponsored field trip to Manhattan-based artists, Woronov visited Warhol's art studio, The Factory. Woronov recalled Warhol was nowhere in sight: "I didn't know he was hiding in the staircase, but that's where he was." Malanga suggested Woronov stick around the studio, saying, "you should stay, they're doing a screen test."
She appeared in numerous films for Warhol, becoming a Warhol superstar in the 1960s. Warhol bestowed her the nickname "Mary Might" but she didn't like it. She danced with Exploding Plastic Inevitable, Warhol's multimedia presentation of The Velvet Underground, and played Hanoi Hannah in Chelsea Girls, the 1966 experimental underground film directed by Warhol. The film was Warhol's first major commercial success after a long line of avant-garde art films (both feature-length and short).
Of this time, she has said: "Of all the girls at Andy Warhol's Factory, I was the butch one. [Warhol] put me in his Screen Tests and I spent my nights at Max's Kansas City. ... I was the strong girl at the Factory." Further reflecting on her working relationship with Warhol, she commented in 2018: "I have a very dark side, I can't help it, but to me that period was wine and roses. It was darkness with pinpoints of light. My connection with Warhol was sort of like Lancelot's connection to King Arthur".
Between 1970 and 1972, Woronov starred in several films by her then-husband, Theodore Gershuny: Kemek (1970) Sugar Cookies (1973); and the slasher film Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972).
In 1973, Woronov was cast as understudy to Julie Newmar in the role of Susan in the Broadway production of David Rabe's play In the Boom Boom Room. Newmar was fired during rehearsals and Woronov took over the role, eventually earning a Theatre World Award for her performance. The production played November 8 - December 9, 1973, at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater.
Woronov's had a leading role in the Roger Corman-produced cult film Death Race 2000 (1975), followed by the Corman-produced Hollywood Boulevard (1976), directed by Allan Arkush and Joe Dante.
1979–1990: Relocation to Los Angeles; further film roles Woronov relocated from New York to Los Angeles in 1979, appearing in Rock 'n' Roll High School the same year. Her breakthrough role came in Paul Bartel's black comedy Eating Raoul (1982), in which she portrayed the wife of a Los Angeles want-to-be-restaurant owner (also played by Bartel), both of whom resort to robbing and murdering swingers to support their business ambitions. Six years later she and Bartel reprised the roles as cameos in Chopping Mall (1986).
She subsequently had roles in numerous films including Blood Theatre (1984), Night of the Comet (1984), and Nomads (1986). She became a fan of the Los Angeles punk music scene, and made an appearance with actor Jack Nance in the Suicidal Tendencies music video "Institutionalized" (1983); the two portrayed the protagonist's parents in the video. She later reprised this character in the band's music video for the song "Possessed To Skate" (1987).
Subsequent film roles include in Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills (1989), Dick Tracy (1990), and Where Sleeping Dogs Lie (1991). On television, Woronov made guest appearances on numerous series in the 1980s, such as Logan's Run, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Charlie's Angels, Mr. Belvedere, Murder, She Wrote, Amazing Stories, St. Elsewhere, Wings, Babylon 5, Family Matters, and Highlander: The Series.
1991–present: Later film performances In 1991, Woronov reprised her role from Rock 'n' Roll High School in the sequel Rock 'n' Roll High School Forever. In 1995, she had a supporting role in the independent comedy film Glory Daze. In 1996, she appeared in the Soundgarden music video for the song Blow Up the Outside World (1996).
She later had roles in the animated Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003), Rob Zombie's horror film The Devil's Rejects (2005) and Ti West's supernatural horror film The House of the Devil (2009).
She appeared in Barneys New York fall 2014 advertising campaign, "L.A. Stories", shot by Bruce Weber.
Other works Painting and visual art Woronov has worked as a painter since her relocation to California in 1979. She has cited painter Francis Bacon as an influence on her artwork.
In February 2022, she held a retrospective exhibition, The Story of the Red Shoe, at the Palm Springs Cultural Center.
Writing In 1995, Woronov published the memoir Swimming Underground: My Years in the Warhol Factory, reflecting on her time as part of Andy Warhol's Factory. She published her first novel, Snake, in 2000. She subsequently published a short story collection in 2004 entitled Blind Love.
Personal life Woronov married producer/director Theodore Gershuny in 1970, completing three films with himKemek (1970), Sugar Cookies (1973), and Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972)before their divorce in 1973. She then married producer Fred Whitehead in 1976, later divorcing. Of Whitehead she said “we weren't very close and he married me because I looked good with the furniture.” She has been married two other times. One of her husbands was a race car driver. In 2022, she said she would not marry again.
Woronov has resided in Los Angeles, California since 1979.
Filmography
+Film Year Title Role Notes1966Chelsea GirlsHanoi HannahHedyPolicewomanKiss the BootMilkShort filmShowerSuperboyJean HarlowSinceJohn F. Kennedy1967Four Stars1970KemekMary Wonderly1972Silent Night, Bloody NightDiane Adams1973Sugar CookiesCamilla Stone1974SeizureMikki Hughes1975Death Race 2000Calamity JaneCover Girl ModelsDiane1976Hollywood BoulevardMary McQueenJackson County JailPearlCannonballSandy HarrisHollywood ManJulie1977Mr. BillionBit PartUncreditedBad Georgia RoadHackett1978Arlene1979Woman BankrobberRock 'n' Roll High SchoolMiss Togar1981HeartbeepsParty House Owner1982Eating RaoulMary BlandNational Lampoon's Movie MadnessSecretary1983Angel of H.E.A.T.Samantha VitesseGet CrazyVioletta1984Blood TheatreMiss BlackwellYoung LustDr. Nicole DunningNight of the CometAudrey White1985Get Out of My RoomHellholeDr. Fletcher1986NomadsDancing MaryTerrorVisionRaquel PuttermanChopping MallMary Bland1987KappaShort filmBlack WidowShelley1988Mortuary AcademyMary Purcell1989WarlockChannelerScenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly HillsLisabeth Hepburn-SaravianLet It RideQuintella1990Dick TracyWelfare PersonClub FedJezebelWatchers IIDr. Glatman1991Buster's BedroomJaneRock 'n' Roll High School ForeverDoctor VadarMotoramaKidnapping WifeWhere Sleeping Dogs LieWoman Tourist1992Daisy1993Good Girls Don'tWilamena LaRueGriefAttorney1995Number One FanWedding CoordinatorGlory DazeVicki1998Secrets of a ChambermaidFelicitySweet JaneSales LadyMom, Can I Keep Her?Dr. Klein1999ZooPrunellaInvisible Mom IIOlivia2000Straight RightDr. Wright2001ReceptionistShort filmLisa LaStradaPerfect FitMom2003Prison A-Go-Go!Dyanne She-Bitch SlutfaceLooney Tunes: Back in ActionAcme Bad Ideas VP2004Sister CeceliaFrog-g-g!DoctorI Pass for HumanDr. Larraz2005Abbie2009Mrs. UlmanHeaven Wants OutKitty2011Kitchenette: Part OneJo2012Attack of the 50 Foot CheerleaderHouse Mother 2016 Snowbird Today Theo Short film A Flock of Birds FeridaShort film2019Frankenstein's Monster's Monster, FrankensteinNancy ErlichShort film 2021 The Velvet Underground Herself Documentary +Music VideosYearTitleArtistRole1984"Institutionalized"Suicidal TendenciesMother1993"Institutionalized (Second Version)" +Television Year Title Role Notes1974SomersetStephanie DillardTV series1976Charlie's Angels Maxine Episode: "Angels in Chains"1977Logan's RunIrene BordenEpisode: "Capture"1979TaxiFran StricklandEpisode: "Nardo Loses Her Marbles"Mrs. ColumboInmateEpisode: "Off the Record"1980Buck Rogers in the 25th CenturyNolaEpisode: "A Dream of Jennifer"Phyl & MikhyAnyaEpisode: "Mikhy's Visitor"1984Hart to HartClavellEpisode: "The Dog Who Knew Too Much"GovernessTV movie1985Challenge of a LifetimeMary GarriteeMiss RenfroKnight RiderDr. Von FurstEpisode: "Knight of the Juggernaut"Mr. BelvedereCherylEpisode: "The Letter"Murder, She WroteBradyEpisode: "Jessica Behind Bars"1986Amazing StoriesNurseEpisode: "Secret Cinema"BrothersSophia SantiniEpisode: "The Seduction of Lou"St. ElsewhereEpisode: "Nothing Up My Sleeve"1987You Again?Dr. QuinnEpisode: "Where the Sun Don't Shine"Shell GameBean SweeneyEpisode: "The Upstairs Gardner"Sledge Hammer!Jill TaylorEpisode: "The Spa Who Loved Me"WebsterCarolEpisode: "San Francisco"1988Trial and ErrorOfficer BurdetteEpisode: "Man's Best Friend"MonstersVikiEpisode: "Pillow Talk"1992Parker Lewis Can't LoseOfficer GwenEpisode: "Money Talks"1993WingsLydia DetmeirEpisode: "The Gift: Part 2"Flying BlindMona4 episodesActing on ImpulseReceptionistTV movie1994Babylon 5Ko D'athEpisode: "Born to the Purple"Shake, Rattle and Rock!E. Joyce TogarTV movieMy So-Called LifeDr. Linda ShieldsEpisode: "Pressure"1995Highlander: The SeriesRita LuceEpisode: "They Also Serve"Here Come the MunstersMrs. DimwittyTV movie1996Family MattersMrs. RamsayEpisode: "Swine Lake"Mrs. DimwittyTV movie1999Beyond Belief: Fact or FictionMotel ManagerEpisode: "Get Your Kicks at Motel 66"2000Who's Watching Who?StarringTV movie
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