Ron Reagan Jr.

Ron Reagan Jr. emerges in Andy Warhol’s diary through a series of encounters that join celebrity, family, and work. First approached as an Interview subject, he chose the magazine partly because he wanted to meet Warhol; later, he and his girlfriend Doria shared dinner with Warhol and his circle, and he appeared at a Joffrey benefit with his parents. The episodes show him moving between a media profile of his own and the highly visible family life associated with Ronald Reagan.

Identity and Introduction

The diary identifies Ron as Ronald Reagan’s son and records him first in connection with an Interview feature. His public position mattered to the circumstances of that meeting: a large production team assembled at the office for what was meant to be a straightforward photograph. Bob Colacello, the magazine’s editor, was exasperated by the growing crowd, which included successive layers of assistants. Once the excess personnel had been sent away, the gathering settled into a much smaller group before Ron arrived with Doria and a close Black friend who accompanied him.

The account distinguishes the people around Ron rather than treating them as a single entourage. Doria was his girlfriend, and the two lived together; the friend was described as close to him, not as a romantic partner. Ron and Doria had met in California. These details make the interview visit a social encounter as well as a magazine assignment, with the diary attentive to who came with him and how each person related to him.

Choosing Interview and Meeting Warhol

Before the shoot, Ron had been invited to give an interview to Lally Weymouth. He declined, saying that he would do only one interview and wanted it to be for Interview. Weymouth reportedly disparaged the magazine, and the dispute upset him enough that he considered withdrawing from the shoot. Jamie Kabler, who had arranged the appearance, bought a copy of Interview for him to read. Afterward, Ron decided to continue: he still wanted to be in the magazine and, in particular, wanted to meet Warhol and have dinner with him. His choice gave the appointment a personal purpose beyond publicity, even as it established Interview as the outlet he preferred for this appearance.

The interview itself began awkwardly. Warhol recalled being shy and unsure what to ask, while Ron was also quiet. Bob gradually steered the conversation toward Ron’s father. A question about whether Ronald Reagan dyed his hair was met with the observation that everyone asked it; Ron said that he did not. He described his mother as sweet and affectionate. When Warhol brought up the film Ordinary People and his own strong dislike of Mary Tyler Moore’s character, Ron seemed about to respond on the subject of Nancy, but changed the topic. The diary records the pause and deflection, not an explanation for them, leaving the family subject present but unresolved.

The Magazine Image and the Social Visit

Warhol’s account moves between interviewing Ron and looking at him as a photographic subject. He noted Ron’s appearance, including his eyes, lips, and nose, and described him holding Doria’s leg while they sat together. These observations belong to the diary’s close attention to looks and presentation, but the encounter did not remain only a study of appearance. When Warhol mentioned that he had never tried frogs’ legs, Ron ordered them so he could taste them. He also invited Warhol to dinner at the couple’s home; the diary notes a Cuisinart Ron had bought Doria for her birthday and their small Quasar television.

Outside, Warhol took Polaroids and gave the couple copies as souvenirs, along with books, including The Philosophy of Andy Warhol and Exposures. The gesture turned a photo session into an exchange of keepsakes and gifts. Ron also spoke about Merce Cunningham’s dance piece with helium pillows, which he said was his favorite. Warhol told him that he had made the Silver Pillows, and Ron replied that this had not been why he liked the piece. The moment connected Ron’s own response to dance with Warhol’s work without making the encounter into a simple exchange of praise.

Dinner, Family, and Public Appearance

At a later dinner at Nippon, Ron and Doria were already there when Warhol’s party arrived. The restaurant owner led them to a private room, while Secret Service agents crowded the premises. Ron wore an alligator T-shirt that displayed his muscles. The owner brought toys to the table, including a novelty bottle opener shaped like a gun that Warhol noted could actually kill someone. The combination of a private dinner and conspicuous security placed an ordinary social evening within the practical conditions of the Reagan family’s public status.

Conversation turned to the coming presidential inauguration. Bob asked whether the group could attend, and the Reagans said invitations would be sent. They also mentioned a planned trip to Bermuda; Bob said he would ask Lily Auchincloss, whom he was seeing, whether the couple could stay at her house there. Warhol described Doria as sweet and charming and Bob as delighted by the evening. The party walked home around midnight or one o’clock. The diary’s closing contrast is less about Ron than about Warhol’s own life: after the convivial dinner, he returned to a worsening domestic situation with Jed Johnson.

Ron appeared again at a Joffrey benefit at the Metropolitan Opera. Warhol found the ballet boring but noticed that Ron danced in the first part, where he had a small place in the ensemble. He thought Ron had improved considerably. In the second part, Ron sat in the presidential box with his mother and father, and he and Doria waved. The shift from dancer among the performers to son beside his parents makes the diary’s recurring contrast especially clear: Ron could be encountered as an interviewee, a dinner guest, and a performer, while his family’s public position remained visible around him.