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Paul Johnson (February 25, 1944 – October 19, 1982), better known as Paul America, was an American actor who was a member of Andy Warhol's Superstars. He starred in one Warhol-directed film, ''My Hustler'' (1965), and also appeared in Edie Sedgwick's final film ''Ciao! Manhattan'' (1972). ==Warhol years== According to America, he met artist Andy Warhol at Ondine, a New York City discotheque in mid-1965. Warhol found America to be "unbelievably good looking - like a comic strip drawing of Mr. America, clean cut, handsome, very symmetrical". Warhol invited America back to his studio called The Factory located at 231 East 47th Street. America ended up moving into the studio and was eventually christened "Paul America" by Warhol. The name may have derived from Paul's former residence, the Hotel America.〔 America later said he often had problems with the name given: In 1965, America was cast as the lead character in ''My Hustler'', written by Chuck Wein. ''My Hustler'' was the first of Warhol's experimental films to utilize camera movements and to feature a loosely structured plot. The film was shot over the Labor Day weekend in 1965 on Fire Island for $500. It premiered at the Hudson Theater on July 10, 1967 and became Warhol's first financially successful film. The role propelled America to fame and would eventually earn him the title of gay icon. In an interview with ''The New York Times'' shortly after the film was released, America claimed he had "was completely unaware of what 'My Hustler' was all about. They didn't tell me. I was on LSD the whole time, and I thought I was just going through some practice motions." He added that the success of the film, along with his constant use of LSD, had made him paranoid: "() I saw cameras coming at me everywhere I went. Even the Con Ed men were shooting me from down in their manholes." America appeared in only two other films for Warhol, neither of which were publicly released. Two sequels followed ''My Hustler'' entitled ''My Hustler: In Apartment'' and ''My Hustler: Ingrid''. He also had a role in Dan Williams's silent film ''Harold Stevenson'', that also featured, Gerard Malanga, Stevenson, Edie Sedgwick.〔 While America's work at the Factory was limited, his good looks and generally docile nature made him a popular staple. Ondine, another Factory regular during the 1960s who had a sexual relationship with him, described America as "() the personification of total sexual satisfaction. () Just beautifully vapid. He was a wonderful creature. Anybody who wanted anything from Paul could get it. He was there to satisfy. And he did." At various points, America had sexual relationships with curator Henry Geldzahler (with whom he lived briefly), Edie Sedgwick and Sedgwick's friend Chuck Wein.〔 During his years at the Factory, America became addicted to heroin and speed. He eventually stopped using heroin but continued using speed. The drug altered his behavior and he would become paranoid and sometimes violent. America's ''My Hustler'' co-star Genevieve Charbin remembered an incident when America tried to rob her apartment and used a plumber's wrench to threaten her. While Charbin watched, America rifled through Charbin's possessions looking for money but could only find old, worthless checks. When Charbin pointed out the checks were worthless, America took a radio and stalked out of her apartment.〔Stein 1982 p.325〕 Henry Geldzahler later recalled that America broke into his apartment and stole a landscape by Roy Lichtenstein and several Warhol pieces that photographer Billy Name left with Geldzahler after he left the Factory in 1970.〔 America eventually left the Factory around 1967. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Paul America」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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