Image of Pat Ast

Pat Ast

Pat Ast was an American actress and model. She was best known for starring in Andy Warhol films and being a Halston model and muse in the 1970s. Ast enjoyed partying in her twenties on Fire Island, and her boisterous personality allowed her to meet and befriend influential people. She had aspirations to become an actress, singer and model despite her day job as a receptionist at a box factory. She made her screen debut after meeting director John Schlesinger on Fire Island, who cast her as a party guest in his film Midnight Cowboy (1969). Around that time, she caught the attention of fashion designer Halston, who gave her a job at his boutique and made her one of his models, despite her weighing 210 pounds, in a time when most models were extremely thin. In the early 1970s, with Pat Cleveland, Connie Cook, Alva Chinn, Anjelica Huston, Karen Bjornson, among others, Ast became one of Halston's favored troupe of models, nicknamed the Halstonettes. She also appeared in runway shows for Halston and Yves St. Laurent, closing the 1972 Coty Awards runway show for Halston by popping out of a giant cake. She later became associated with Andy Warhol, who gave her the role of landlady Lydia in his film Heat (1972) alongside Joe Dallesandro. In 1975, Ast moved to Hollywood to pursue her acting career. She has appeared in films such as The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox (1976), Foul Play (1978), The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981), and Reform School Girls (1986). She became resentful of Los Angeles as her film career stalled. She went to New York to do Nine, a Broadway musical based on Federico Fellini’s movie 8 1/2, but was dismissed after three months.


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Born:
Oct 21, 1941 In Brooklyn, New York, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
22
First Appeared:
In the movie Midnight Cowboy 1969-05-25
Latest Project:
Movie Beauville 1995-01-01
Known For
Poster of Beauville
Poster of The Princess and the Pea
Poster of The Donna Summer Special
Poster of Warhol
Filmography
Movie Beauville 1995-01-01
Movie Ted & Venus Women's Group #2 1991-08-08
Series Quantum Leap Dolores 1989-03-26
Movie Homer and Eddie Maggie Sinclair 1989-08-17
Movie Club Life Butch 1986-02-20
Movie Reform School Girls Edna Dawson 1986-08-22
Movie The Princess and the Pea Princess #1 1984-04-16
Movie Pandemonium Bus Driver 1982-04-01
Series Faerie Tale Theatre 2nd Slipper Contestant 1982-09-11
Movie The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper Horse Lady 1981-11-13
Movie The Donna Summer Special Bad Girl 1980-01-27
Movie Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill Vera Elvira 1979-01-08
Movie Foul Play Mrs. Venus 1978-07-14
Movie The Users The Dressmaker 1978-10-01
Movie The World's Greatest Lover Italian Wardrobe Lady / Bakery Lady 1977-12-18
Movie The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox Music Hall Singer 1976-04-01
Movie Six Characters in Search of An Author Madam Pace 1976-10-14
Movie Warhol Self 1973-03-27
Movie The Possession of Joel Delaney Mental Hospital Patient (uncredited) 1972-05-24
Movie Heat Lydia / landlady 1972-10-06
Movie The Sidelong Glances of a Pigeon Kicker 1970-10-28
Movie Midnight Cowboy Party Guest (uncredited) 1969-05-25