Mary Woronov
Encyclopedia
Mary Woronov is an American actress and writer. She is primarily known for her roles in independent and cult film
s. Woronov has appeared in over 80 movies, as well as numerous appearances in mainstream television series, such as Charlie's Angels
and Knight Rider.
in Palm Beach, Florida
, in the period that it served as the Ream General Hospital during World War II
. She is the daughter of Carol Eschholz. Woronov's adoptive father, Victor D. Woronov, was a cancer surgeon. She attended Packer Collegiate Institute
in Brooklyn Heights.
. She danced with Exploding Plastic Inevitable
, Warhol's multimedia presentation of the Velvet Underground
.
Woronov's notable appearances include in the 1975 cult film
Death Race 2000
and 1979's Rock 'n' Roll High School
(and the 1991 sequel Rock 'n' Roll High School Forever
), but her breakthrough role was in the 1982 cult film Eating Raoul
. She has since had roles in numerous films including Blood Theatre
(1984), Night of the Comet
(1985) Chopping Mall
and Nomads (1986), Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills
(1989), Dick Tracy (1990), Where Sleeping Dogs Lie
(1991), Looney Tunes: Back in Action
(2003) and All About Evil
(2010).
Woronov has also made guest appearances on TV shows such as 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
.
She became a fan of the L.A. punk music scene and made a cameo appearance with actor Jack Nance & John Hullette in 1983's Suicidal Tendencies' Institutionalized
video.
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
s. Woronov has appeared in over 80 movies, as well as numerous appearances in mainstream television series, such as Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
and Knight Rider.
Early life
Woronov was born in the Breakers HotelBreakers Hotel
The Breakers Hotel is an historic hotel in Palm Beach, Florida, United States. First known as The Palm Beach Inn, it was opened on January 16, 1896 by Henry Flagler, an oil, real estate and railroad tycoon, to accommodate travelers on his Florida East Coast Railway...
in Palm Beach, Florida
Palm Beach, Florida
The Town of Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The Intracoastal Waterway separates it from the neighboring cities of West Palm Beach and Lake Worth...
, in the period that it served as the Ream General Hospital during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She is the daughter of Carol Eschholz. Woronov's adoptive father, Victor D. Woronov, was a cancer surgeon. She attended Packer Collegiate Institute
Packer Collegiate Institute
Packer Collegiate Institute is an independent college preparatory school for students from prekindergarten through grade 12. Formerly the Brooklyn Female Academy, Packer has been located at 170 Joralemon Street in the historic district of Brooklyn Heights since its founding in 1845.- History :A...
in Brooklyn Heights.
Acting
Mary Woronov first made headlines in the early 1960s as a Warhol superstarWarhol superstar
Warhol superstars were a clique of New York City personalities promoted by Andy Warhol during the 1960s and early 1970s. These personalities appeared in Warhol's artworks and accompanied him in his social life...
. She danced with Exploding Plastic Inevitable
Exploding Plastic Inevitable
The Exploding Plastic Inevitable, sometimes simply called Plastic Inevitable or EPI, was a series of multimedia events organized by Andy Warhol between 1966 and 1967, featuring musical performances by The Velvet Underground and Nico, screenings of Warhol's films, and dancing and performances by...
, Warhol's multimedia presentation of the Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
.
Woronov's notable appearances include in the 1975 cult film
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
Death Race 2000
Death Race 2000
Death Race 2000 is a 1975 cult action film directed by Paul Bartel, and starring David Carradine, Simone Griffeth and Sylvester Stallone. The film takes place in a dystopian American society in the year 2000, where the murderous Transcontinental Road Race has become a form of national entertainment...
and 1979's Rock 'n' Roll High School
Rock 'n' Roll High School
Rock 'n' Roll High School is a 1979 musical comedy film produced by Roger Corman, directed by Allan Arkush, and featuring the Ramones.The film starred P. J. Soles, Vince Van Patten, and Clint Howard...
(and the 1991 sequel Rock 'n' Roll High School Forever
Rock 'n' Roll High School Forever
Rock 'n' Roll High School Forever is a 1991 musical comedy film and sequel to the 1979 film Rock 'n' Roll High School. The film stars Corey Feldman, Mary Woronov, and Sarah Buxton.-Plot:...
), but her breakthrough role was in the 1982 cult film Eating Raoul
Eating Raoul
Eating Raoul is a 1982 black comedy about a married couple living in Hollywood who resort to killing swingers for their money. It was directed by Paul Bartel and written by Bartel and Richard Blackburn...
. She has since had roles in numerous films including Blood Theatre
Blood Theatre
Blood Theater is an Independent Film Slasher/Horror Comedy that doesn't take itself seriously and is often thought of as a spoof. It was the first feature for director Rick Sloane who was 21 at the time of its making....
(1984), Night of the Comet
Night of the Comet
Night of the Comet is a 1984 film directed by Thom Eberhardt and starring Catherine Mary Stewart, Robert Beltran, and Kelli Maroney. It has elements of such diverse genres as science fiction, horror, zombie apocalypse, comedy, and romance....
(1985) Chopping Mall
Chopping Mall
Chopping Mall is an American horror/science fiction film, produced by Julie Corman and originally released on March 21, 1986 under the title Killbots....
and Nomads (1986), Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills
Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills
Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills is an American black comedy film released in 1989. Co-written and directed by Paul Bartel, Scenes re-unites Bartel with his Eating Raoul co-stars Mary Woronov and Robert Beltran...
(1989), Dick Tracy (1990), Where Sleeping Dogs Lie
Where Sleeping Dogs Lie
Where Sleeping Dogs Lie is a 1991 thriller film directed by Charles Finch and starred Dylan McDermott, Sharon Stone and Tom Sizemore. The primary location for "Sleeping Dogs" was C.E. Toberman Estate, a large Mediterranean-style, 22-room house built at the top of Camino Palmero in 1928 by C. E....
(1991), Looney Tunes: Back in Action
Looney Tunes: Back in Action
Looney Tunes: Back in Action is a 2003 American live action/animated adventure comedy film directed by Joe Dante and starring Brendan Fraser, Jenna Elfman, Timothy Dalton, and Steve Martin. The film is essentially a feature-length Looney Tunes cartoon, with all the wackiness and surrealism typical...
(2003) and All About Evil
All About Evil
All About Evil is a 2010 American black comedy horror film written and directed by Joshua Grannell.-Plot:The adventure tells of a shy librarian who inherits the old and not very tolerable cinema of her father, to protect the family from the shame of bankruptcy...
(2010).
Woronov has also made guest appearances on TV shows such as Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (TV series)
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century is an American science fiction adventure television series produced by Universal Studios. The series ran for two seasons between 1979–1981, and the feature-length pilot episode for the series was released as a theatrical film several months before the series aired....
, Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
, Mr. Belvedere
Mr. Belvedere
Mr. Belvedere is an American sitcom that originally aired on ABC from March 15, 1985, until July 8, 1990. The series was based on the Lynn Aloysius Belvedere character created by Gwen Davenport for her 1947 novel Belvedere, which was later adapted into the 1948 film Sitting Pretty...
, Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote
Murder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
, Amazing Stories
Amazing Stories (TV series)
Amazing Stories is a fantasy, horror, and science fiction television anthology series created by Steven Spielberg. It ran on NBC from 1985 to 1987, and was somewhat erratically screened in Britain by BBC1 and BBC2 - billed in the Radio Times as "Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories" - with episodes...
, St. Elsewhere
St. Elsewhere
St. Elsewhere is an American medical drama television series that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982 to May 25, 1988. The series is set at fictional St. Eligius, a decaying urban teaching hospital in Boston's South End neighborhood...
, Wings, Babylon 5
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
, Family Matters, and Highlander: The Series
Highlander: The Series
Highlander: The Series is a fantasy-adventure television series featuring Duncan MacLeod of the Scottish Clan MacLeod, as the Highlander. It was an offshoot and another alternate sequel of the 1986 feature film with a twist: Connor MacLeod did not win the prize and Immortals still exist post-1985...
.
She became a fan of the L.A. punk music scene and made a cameo appearance with actor Jack Nance & John Hullette in 1983's Suicidal Tendencies' Institutionalized
Institutionalized (song)
"Institutionalized" is a song by the American hardcore punk band Suicidal Tendencies. It was released in 1983 as the only single from their debut album, Suicidal Tendencies. It is often classified as the band's signature song and would be re-recorded for the album Still Cyco After All These Years...
video.
Writing
She has written such books as Blind Love and Swimming Underground: My Years in the Warhol Factory.Selected filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1966 | Chelsea Girls Chelsea Girls Chelsea Girls is a 1966 experimental underground film directed by Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey. The film was Warhol's first major commercial success after a long line of avant-garde art films... |
Hanoi Hannah | |
| 1973 | Sugar Cookies Sugar Cookies (film) Sugar Cookies is a 1973 soft-core crime film directed by Theodore Gershuny. It was co-written by future president of Troma Entertainment Lloyd Kaufman and produced by future director Oliver Stone.... |
Camila Stone | Alternative title: Love Me My Way |
| 1974 | Seizure Seizure (film) Seizure is a 1974 surreal horror-thriller film. It is the directorial debut of Oliver Stone, who also co-wrote the screenplay.-Plot:Horror writer Edmund Blackstone sees his recurring nightmare come to chilling life one weekend as one by one, his friends and family are killed by three villains,... |
Mikki Hughes | |
| Silent Night, Bloody Night Silent Night, Bloody Night Not to be confused with a more controversial and popular film called Silent Night, Deadly Night.Silent Night, Bloody Night is a low-budget 1974 psychological horror film directed by Theodore Gershuny. It stars Patrick O'Neal and cult actress Mary Woronov in leading roles, with John Carradine in a... |
Diane Adams | ||
| 1975 | Death Race 2000 Death Race 2000 Death Race 2000 is a 1975 cult action film directed by Paul Bartel, and starring David Carradine, Simone Griffeth and Sylvester Stallone. The film takes place in a dystopian American society in the year 2000, where the murderous Transcontinental Road Race has become a form of national entertainment... |
Calamity Jane | |
| 1976 | Hollywood Boulevard | Mary McQueen | |
| Cannonball Cannonball (film) Cannonball, also known as Carquake, is a 1976 film starring David Carradine. The film is one of two released in 1976 that were based on a real illegal cross-continent road race that took place for a number of years in the United States... |
Sandy Harris, Girl in the Van #1 | Alternative title: Carquake | |
| 1978 | The One and Only The One and Only (1978 film) The One and Only is a 1978 film comedy starring Henry Winkler, directed by Carl Reiner and written by Steve Gordon.Gordon went on to write and direct the movie Arthur.-Plot:... |
Arlene | |
| 1979 | Rock 'n' Roll High School Rock 'n' Roll High School Rock 'n' Roll High School is a 1979 musical comedy film produced by Roger Corman, directed by Allan Arkush, and featuring the Ramones.The film starred P. J. Soles, Vince Van Patten, and Clint Howard... |
Miss Evelyn Togar | |
| 1981 | Heartbeeps Heartbeeps Heartbeeps is an American romantic sci-fi comedy film about two robots who fall in love and decide to strike out on their own. It was directed by Allan Arkush, and starred Andy Kaufman and Bernadette Peters as the robots... |
Party House Owner | |
| 1982 | Eating Raoul Eating Raoul Eating Raoul is a 1982 black comedy about a married couple living in Hollywood who resort to killing swingers for their money. It was directed by Paul Bartel and written by Bartel and Richard Blackburn... |
Mary Bland | |
| 1983 | National Lampoon Goes to the Movies National Lampoon Goes to the Movies National Lampoon Goes to the Movies is a 1982 National Lampoon anthology of three shorts spoofing everything from personal growth films, glossy soap operas, and police stories... |
Secretary | |
| 1984 | Night of the Comet Night of the Comet Night of the Comet is a 1984 film directed by Thom Eberhardt and starring Catherine Mary Stewart, Robert Beltran, and Kelli Maroney. It has elements of such diverse genres as science fiction, horror, zombie apocalypse, comedy, and romance.... |
Audrey | |
| 1986 | TerrorVision TerrorVision TerrorVision is an American horror-comedy film released in 1986.The film was directed by Ted Nicolaou, produced and written by Albert and Charles Band and composed by Richard Band, all of whom would go on to found and work with Full Moon Features in 1989... |
Raquel | |
| 1987 | Black Widow Black Widow (1987 film) Black Widow is a 1987 film starring Debra Winger, Theresa Russell, Sami Frey, Nicol Williamson and Dennis Hopper.It is a crime drama about two women: one who murders wealthy men whom she marries for their money, and the other an agent with the Department of Justice who grows obsessed with bringing... |
Shelley | Alternative title: Bullseye |
| 1989 | Let It Ride Let It Ride (film) Let It Ride is a 1989 comedy film. It stars Richard Dreyfuss as a normally unsuccessful habitual gambler who experiences a day in which he wins every bet he places... |
Quinella | |
| Warlock Warlock (1989 film) Warlock is a 1989 American cult horror film directed by Steve Miner, written by David Twohy and produced by Roger Corman. It was also produced by New World Pictures and distributed by Trimark Pictures. The cast includes Julian Sands, Lori Singer, and Richard E. Grant... |
Channeler | ||
| 1990 | Watchers II Watchers II Watchers II is the 1990 sequel to the Canadian horror film Watchers. Starring Marc Singer and Tracy Scoggins, the film is loosely based on the novel Watchers by Dean Koontz.-Plot:... |
Dr. Glatman | |
| 1991 | Motorama Motorama (film) Motorama is an American road movie released in 1991. It is a surrealistic film about a ten-year-old runaway boy on a road trip for the purpose of collecting game pieces from the fictional "Chimera" gas stations, in order to spell out the word M-O-T-O-R-A-M-A. By doing so he will supposedly win... |
Kidnapping Wife | |
| Rock 'n' Roll High School Forever Rock 'n' Roll High School Forever Rock 'n' Roll High School Forever is a 1991 musical comedy film and sequel to the 1979 film Rock 'n' Roll High School. The film stars Corey Feldman, Mary Woronov, and Sarah Buxton.-Plot:... |
Doctor Vadar | ||
| 1992 | The Living End The Living End (film) The Living End is a 1992 film by Gregg Araki. Described by some critics as a "gay Thelma and Louise," the film is an early entry in the New Queer Cinema genre. The Living End was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 1992.... |
Daisy | |
| 1995 | Glory Daze Glory Daze Glory Daze is an independent film starring Ben Affleck, Sam Rockwell, French Stewart and Alyssa Milano. It had a limited release in 1996.- Plot :... |
Joanie's Mom | |
| 1998 | Sweet Jane Sweet Jane (film) Sweet Jane is a 1998 drama about an unlikely friendship that develops between an HIV positive prostitute addicted to heroin and a terminally-ill fifteen-year-old boy. Sweet Jane was directed by Joe Gayton and stars Samantha Mathis as Jane and Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Tony. The film opened at the AFI... |
Sales Lady | |
| 2003 | Prison-A-Go-Go! Prison-A-Go-Go! Prison-A-Go-Go! is an American movie first released in October 2003 by WorldWide International Picture Studios, known for producing low budget B-movies with campy concepts. The film premiered at the Deep Ellum Film Festival in 2003 and went on to win several awards. The film was directed by Barak... |
Dyanne She-Bitch Slutface | |
| 2004 | Frog-g-g! Frog-g-g! Frog-g-g! is a 2004 science fiction horror comedy film directed by Cody Jarrett. It is about a mutated frog. Meanwhile a United States Environmental Protection Agency agent must track the monster down. The basic monster plot is borrowed from Humanoids from the Deep... |
Doctor | |
| 2005 | The Devil's Rejects The Devil's Rejects The Devil's Rejects is a 2005 American horror film written and directed by Rob Zombie, and the sequel to his 2003 film House of 1000 Corpses. The film is about the family of psychopathic killers from the previous film now on the run... |
Abbie | |
| 2009 | The House of the Devil The House of the Devil The House of the Devil is a 2009 horror film written, directed, and edited by Ti West, starring Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, and Mary Woronov. It combines elements of both the slasher film and haunted house subgenres while using the "satanic panic" of the 1980s as a central plot element... |
Mrs. Ulman | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1976 | Charlie's Angels | Maxine | 1 episode |
| 1977 | Logan's Run | Irene | 1 episode |
| 1979 | Taxi Taxi (TV series) Taxi was an American sitcom that originally aired from 1978 to 1982 on ABC and from 1982 to 1983 on NBC. The series, which won 18 Emmy Awards, including three for "Outstanding Comedy Series", focuses on the everyday lives of a handful of New York City taxi drivers and their abusive dispatcher... |
Fran Strickland | 1 episode |
| 1984 | Hart to Hart Hart to Hart Hart to Hart is an American television series, starring Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, a wealthy couple who also moonlighted as amateur detectives. The series was created by writer Sidney Sheldon and produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg... |
Clavell | 1 episode |
| 1985 | A Bunny's Tale A Bunny's Tale A Bunny's Tale is a 1985 television film based on American feminist icon and journalist Gloria Steinem's experiences working as a Playboy Bunny in 1963. It stars Kirstie Alley as Steinem.-Plot Summary:... |
Miss Renfro | Television movie |
| Knight Rider | Dr. Von Furst | 1 episode | |
| 1986 | Brothers Brothers (TV series) Brothers is an American television sitcom that originally aired on the cable network Showtime from July 13, 1984 to July 25, 1989, totaling 115 episodes. It was produced by Gary Nardino Productions, in association with two separate divisions of Paramount; first by the Paramount Video division and... |
Sophia Santini | 1 episode |
| 1987 | Webster Webster (TV series) Webster is an American situation comedy that premiered on ABC on September 16, 1983, and ran on that network until September 11, 1987, but continued in first-run syndication until 1989... |
Carol | 2 episodes |
| Sledge Hammer! Sledge Hammer! Sledge Hammer! is an American satirical police sitcom produced by New World Television that ran for two seasons on ABC from 1986 to 1988. The series was created by Alan Spencer and stars David Rasche as Inspector Sledge Hammer, a preposterous caricature of the standard "cop on the edge" character,... |
Jill Taylor | 1 episode | |
| 1988 | Monsters Monsters (TV series) Monsters is a syndicated horror anthology series which originally ran from 1988 to 1991 and reran on the Sci-Fi Channel during the 1990s. As of 2011, Monsters airs on NBC Universal's horror/suspense-themed cable channel Chiller in sporadic weekday marathons.In a similar vein to Tales from the... |
Viki | 1 episode |
| 1992 | Parker Lewis Can't Lose Parker Lewis Can't Lose Parker Lewis Can't Lose is an American teen sitcom that originally aired on FOX from September 1990 to June 1993. During the last season, the series sported the simpler title Parker Lewis. The series was produced by Columbia Pictures Television and was strongly influenced by the feature film Ferris... |
Officer Gwen | 1 episode |
| 1993 | Flying Blind | Mona | 4 episodes |
| 1994 | My So-Called Life My So-Called Life My So-Called Life is an American teen drama television series created by Winnie Holzman and produced by Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. It originally aired on ABC from August 25, 1994, to January 26, 1995 and was distributed by The Bedford Falls Company with ABC Productions. Set at the... |
Dr. Linda Shields | 1 episode |
| Babylon 5 Babylon 5 Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262... |
Ko'Dath | 1 episode | |
| 1995 | Here Come the Munsters Here Come the Munsters Here Come the Munsters is a telefilm that aired on Fox October 31, 1995. It starred Edward Herrmann, Christine Taylor and Veronica Hamel. It included cameos from original Munsters surviving cast members Yvonne De Carlo, Al Lewis, Butch Patrick, and Pat Priest... |
Mrs. Dimwitty | Television movie |
| Highlander: The Series Highlander: The Series Highlander: The Series is a fantasy-adventure television series featuring Duncan MacLeod of the Scottish Clan MacLeod, as the Highlander. It was an offshoot and another alternate sequel of the 1986 feature film with a twist: Connor MacLeod did not win the prize and Immortals still exist post-1985... |
Rita Luce | 1 episode | |
| 1996 | The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas is a television movie featuring characters from the 1960s American television sitcom The Munsters. It featured an entirely different cast from the series and the previous movie Here Come The Munsters. The movie is set around Christmas time and was met with mixed... |
Mrs. Dimwitty | Television movie |