Ondine, one of Andy Warhol's cinema superstars of the Sixties, was born Robert Olivio on June 16, 1937. He first met Warhol at an orgy held around 1961 or '62, and was dismayed by Warhol's failure to join in. He proceeded to kick Warhol out, not knowing who he was or understanding that the future titan of Pop Art essentially was a voyeur.

He was christened with his professional name upon coming out of the water at the beach (an "undine" is a water spirit). Warhol began making "underground" movies in 1963, and Ondine began appearing in Warhol's oeuvre in 1964. Ondine made his debut in the free-form Couch (1966) and then appeared in the homage Batman Dracula (1964) Warhol's 18th and 20th films, respectively, as a director.

Ondine appeared in seven more Warhol films, including Warhol's most successful film of the 1960s, Chelsea Girls (1966) as "Pope Ondine." Ondine was known as the Pope of Warhol's entourage due to his brilliant, speed-fueled conversation, which Warhol frequently tape-recorded. Based on the transcriptions of 24 one-hours tapes, Warhol published "A: A Novel" with the Grove Press in 1968, purportedly 24-hours in the life of Ondine.

Ondine appeared in his last film for Warhol in 1968, "The Loves of Ondine." a fictional chronicle of the gay Ondine attempting to go "straight." He was supposed to appear in Warhol's "Loneseome Cowboys," but never showed up at the Arizona locale where the film was shot. Subsequently, he was banned from "The Factory" (Warhol's loft-living/working space) due to his bad temper, though the two remained friends.

In later years, Ondine supported himself by showing Warhol films and delivering a lecture on his days as a Warhol "superstar" on the college circuit. He died of liver disease in Queens, New York, New York, in 1989.

Warhol's Cinema 1963-1968: Mirror for the Sixties

See photos of celebrities before they hit the big-time.

Ondine

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