Colacello began his writing career around 1969, when he began publishing film reviews in the Village Voice weekly.[3] As a graduate student in the Film department at Columbia University in New York, his first publications doubled as his class essays and homework assignments.[4] In 1970, Colacello wrote a review of
Andy Warhol's film Trash, which he hailed as a "great Roman Catholic masterpiece". This review garnered the attention of Warhol, and
Paul Morrissey, the director of many of Warhol's films, who approached Colacello to write for Interview magazine, a new art/film/fashion magazine Warhol had recently begun to publish.[5] Colacello was made editor of Interview within six months and, for the next 12 years, remained directly involved in all aspects of life and business at
The Factory— Warhol's studio—as he developed the magazine into one of the best-known lifestyle magazines of the time.[4] As Colacello himself writes in
Holy Terror: Andy Warhol Close Up (1990), Warhol suggested Colacello change his name to Bob Cola, in order to sound more "pop."[6] In the mid 80s Colacello left Interview due to tensions with Warhol. He cited Warhol receiving credit for The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (1975), which he ghostwrote, and Warhol's jealousy over the attention Colacello received from Nancy Regan among reasons for his departure.[7]