Viva
Biography
Known professionally as Viva, Janet Susan Mary Hoffmann is an American actress, writer, and artist who became a Warhol superstar during the 1960s. Born in Syracuse, New York, she worked as a model and painter before her screen career began in 1967 with the underground film Ciao! Manhattan (1973). After approaching Andy Warhol at a party, she appeared in his movies Tub Girls (1967), The Nude Restaurant (1967), and Blue Movie (1969), opposite Louis Waldon. Her first leading role outside Warhol's circle came in Agnès Varda's Lions Love (1969), and she later played Jennifer in Woody Allen's Play It Again, Sam (1972). Viva also published the novel Superstar, wrote for The Village Voice and New York Woman, and took supporting roles in Forbidden Zone (1980) and Paris, Texas (1984).
88years old
Turns 89 on August 23in 315 days
- Born Syracuse
- Star sign: VirgoFirst day of the sign, on the Leo cusp
- Janet Susan Mary Hoffman (birth name)Also credited as Susan Hoffman, Viva Auder and Viva Hoffman
Movie Career
- Films
- 8
- Career span
- 24 years1969 to 1993
Genres
- Drama75%, 6 films
- Comedy38%, 3 films
- Crime13%, 1 film
- Documentary13%, 1 film
- Fantasy13%, 1 film
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About the name
Viva chose her professional name after seeing it on a package of paper towels. Writing under her government name for a local publication called Downtown, she reviewed her own movies and gave herself rave reviews.
Big break
In 1967, Viva approached Andy Warhol at a party hosted by Betsey Johnson and asked about being in one of his films. Warhol said they had chatted briefly a few times before that.
A role that slipped away
In John Schlesinger's film Midnight Cowboy, released in 1969, Viva played a bit part. Warhol had been intended for the role but gave it to her.
Behind the camera
In 1970, Viva's book Superstar: A Novel came out from G. P. Putnam's Sons. It gave an inside view of the Factory scene, a partly fictional account of her time there, and used taped conversations as a stylistic effect.
Viva movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Worked with
Viva shares two films with Harry Dean Stanton, and one with each of the others. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Harry Dean Stanton's page
Joy Bang's page
Gene Hackman's page
Kris Kristofferson's page
Humphrey Bogart's page
Mel Gibson's page
All films by Wim Wenders
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.