Patrick Tilden "Pat" Close (June 1, 1948 – February 15, 1988) was a former American child actor who later appeared in the 1967
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the Art movement, visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore th ...
film, ''
Imitation of Christ
In Christian theology, the imitation of Christ is the practice of following the example of Jesus.''A concise dictionary of theology'' by Gerald O'Collins, Edward G. Farrugia 2004 page 115''Imitating Jesus: an inclusive approach to New Testament ...
''.
Career
Close began his career at the age of 11 when he was discovered while appearing in a stage production of ''
Auntie Mame
''Auntie Mame: An Irreverent Escapade'' is a 1955 novel by American author Patrick Dennis chronicling the madcap adventures of a boy, Patrick, growing up as the ward of his Aunt Mame Dennis, the sister of his dead father.
The book is often desc ...
'' in Hollywood. He made his film debut as a young
Elliot Roosevelt in 1960 in the biographical film ''
Sunrise at Campobello
''Sunrise at Campobello'' is a 1960 Warner Bros. biographical film telling the story of the struggles of future President of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his family when Roosevelt was stricken with paralysis at the age of 39 ...
''.
For the remainder of the decade, he guest starred on various television series. Close continued his acting career in his late teenage years from 1967 to 1970 as one of Andy Warhol's film stars. He played the lead role of "The Son" in the 1967 Warhol film ''Imitation of Christ''. There was speculation at the time that Close would have become a new
James Dean if Warhol had released the film into general distribution instead of allowing only a single premiere presentation.
[Bockris, Victor ''Warhol: the Biography'' Da Capo Press (2003) , page 284] Other reviews, however, disagreed, saying he was "awkward" and "unprofessional."
Close continued to work with Warhol after 1970, not so much as an actor in Warhol's films, but more as a contributor to such projects as Andy Warhol's ''
Interview
An interview is a structured conversation where one participant asks questions, and the other provides answers.Merriam Webster DictionaryInterview Dictionary definition, Retrieved February 16, 2016 In common parlance, the word "interview" ...
'' magazine.
[Frasier, David K. (1997) ''Russ Meyer--The Life and Films: A Biography and a Comprehensive, Illustrated and Annotated Filmography and Bibliography'' McFarland, , page 53 (Note 181, where Close is given credit as one of the interviewers with subject ]Edy Williams
Edwina Beth "Edy" Williams is an American television and film actor who is best known for her acting work in the films of Russ Meyer, to whom she was married from 1970 to 1975.
Early years
Williams was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and raised in ...
in 1973)
After 1980, he continued acting in movies, credited as Patrick Close, in minor roles for such low-budget productions as Roger Corman's ''
Space Raiders'' (1983).
[Young, R. G. (2000) ''The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film: Ali Baba to Zombies'' Hal Leonard Corporation, , page 585][ Full Cast of "Space Raiders"](_blank)
webpage of th
Internet Movie Database
website
Death
On February 15, 1988, Close died of "
fatty metamorphosis of the liver" at the age of 39. The coroner's report indicated that Close's death was due to
alcoholism
Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomi ...
.
[Jones, William, E., ''Roehr/Warhol/Rocco/Lynde'', Footnote 4 to the sub-section on Andy Warhol (Published as program notes for Elective Affinities, a film series co-curated with Larry Johnson at the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, August 2009), and posted online May 6, 2010 at th]
Amber Waves of Brain
blog
Filmography
References
External links
*
1948 births
1988 deaths
20th-century American male actors
Alcohol-related deaths in California
American male child actors
American male film actors
American male stage actors
American male television actors
Deaths from liver disease
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