Warhol Superstar Andrea Feldman was born on April 1, 1948. Feldman starred in three of Andy Warhol’s films, Imitation of Christ, Trash and Heat. During this run, she sought the positions that Edie Sedgwick and International Velvet once held in Warhol’s entourage and referred to herself as “Ms. Andy Warhol.” Feldman played an important role in Warhol’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable event series, where she would perform her famous whip dance. Aside from her work with Warhol, she performed a routine called “Showtime” at the legendary Max’s Kansas City nightclub.
A source from The Factory once referred to Feldman saying, “A lot of people in the Warhol scene pretended to be crazy, but Andrea really was. She had endless money for everything but mental health. When she had nervous breakdowns, her parents would send her to state hospitals. Just before Heat came out and she knew—she was about to be a star, she had a nervous breakdown, and her physician told her parents that what she needed was a job. I remember her saying “What am I supposed to do? Be a waitress?!””
The pressure of her increased recognition became unbearable for Feldman. In 1972 she brought together a group of ex-boyfriends for what she called her “final starring role.” She left a note to the group reading, “I’m heading for the big time. I’m on my way up there with James Dean and Marilyn Monroe.” Feldman committed suicide by jumping off the fourteenth floor, holding a rosary in one hand and a bible in the other. Her death preceded the release of Warhol’s Heat, in which she held a larger role and was well reviewed.
