Jane Forth (born March 4, 1953)[1] is an American actress and model She is best known for having been one of the Warhol superstars, starring in the films Trash (1970) and L'Amour (1972).[2] She was also one of “Antonio’s Girls”, models and muses of fashion illustrator Antonio Lopez.
In 1968, Forth and her family left St. Claire Shores, Michigan, to go to New York.[3] She lived with her mother, Rhea Forth, a data control analyst, in an apartment at Kips Bay Plaza.[4] Her parents were separated and her father was an executive with Renault, Inc., in. New York. She had three siblings, Diane, Robert, and Beverly.
Forth briefly enrolled at a public junior high school before attending Quintano's School for Young Professionals, but she dropped out at the age of 15 to go to work as a salesgirl.
She began her career as a receptionist at Andy Warhol's Factory in 1969.[5] Forth met Warhol through her first boyfriend, Jay Johnson—the twin brother of Warhol’s longtime partner, Jed Johnson.[6] Taken with her striking appearance, Warhol invited Forth to perform in Trash (1970) with Joe Dallesandro and Holly Woodlawn. Despite her youth, Forth shined in the production.
Her unique look, involving plucked eyebrows, Wesson-oiled hair, pale skin, red cheeks, and bold lips, was pronounced the “New Now Face” in 1970. Her look was inspired by classic Hollywood heroines, such as Myrna Loy and Claudette Colbert, she styled herself in thrifted clothing from the 1930s and ‘40s. Despite the praise she received for her look, Forth had a difficult time signing to a modeling agency due to her short stature.
Rapidly launched into the worlds of fashion and film, she became a protégé of fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who helped promote her.[7] Forth posed for Antonio Lopez’s fashion illustrations in the New York Times, Diane von Furstenberg, and was photographed for Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.
Forth had just turned 17 years old when Jack Mitchell photographed her for a nude four-page photo spread for the April 1970 cover of After Dark magazine. In July 1970, Life magazine ran a story on Forth. The youth and arrogance of then-teenaged Forth shows through her 1970 statement to Life: "When I’m home I’m yelling at my mother to iron my clothes, and when I’m out, I’m standing around yawning at all these fancy people." She declared in the same interview that she bought dime-store make up and each of her “dress-up" faces only cost twenty-five cents, with her thrifted vintage dresses averaging a price of $12.50.
Forth appeared in the Factory film Women In Revolt (1971), she was cast in Warhol's next production, L'Amour (1972) alongside fellow Warhol superstar Donna Jordan.
After retiring from acting and modeling, Forth became a film and fashion industry make-up artist.[8]
Forth was married to the English director of photography Oliver Wood for 22 years, and they have two daughters.[5]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Trash | Jane | ||
| 1971 | Women in Revolt | Jane | ||
| 1972 | L'Amour | Jane | ||
| 1977 | Andy Warhol's Bad | Screaming Passer-by | ||
| 1981 | CBS Afternoon Playhouse | Make-up artist | ||
| 1981 | The Prowler | Make-up artist | ||
| 1983 | Cold Feet | Make-up artist |