Warhol Superstar Viva was born on August 23, 1938, as Janet Susan Mary Hoffmann. In 1965 Viva met Warhol when she showed up to The Factory asking for money and Warhol obliged by offering her a part in Tub Girls. As a Warhol Superstar, she would go on to appear in multiple Warhol’s films. Her credits include The Nude Restaurant, The Loves of Ondine and one of Warhol’s most controversial films, Blue Movie, which was seized by the NYPD for obscenity. The film dealt with the issue of the Vietnam War discussed by two people having sex.
Viva developed her acting career in art films and has appeared in Hollywood films, such as Flash Gordon. Viva once appeared on The Tonight Show on an episode with Woody Allen, who later cast her in Play it Again, Sam.
Viva was on the phone with Andy Warhol when he was shot by Valerie Solanas. The shock from the event lead Viva to have a close relationship with Andy’s mother, Mrs. Warhola. However, Warhol accused Viva as using the shooting to spy on him and his family, and their relationship never fully recovered.
Warhol Superstar Viva currently resides in Palm Spring, California, where she spends her time writing and painting. She is the mother of actress Gaby Hoffmann, known for appearances in films like Uncle Buck and Field of Dreams and has become a regular on hit shows Girls and Transparent.
