Heather Graham, the actress known for her roles in ”License to Drive” and “Drugstore Cowboy,” recently revealed that she has been estranged from her parents for nearly three decades. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Graham explained that the rift between her and her parents began when she decided to pursue a career in acting.
Graham, now 54 years old, shared that her passion for acting started at a young age when she participated in elementary school plays. She even played the lead role of Dorothy Gale in a reenactment of “The Wizard of Oz.” While her mother, Joan, who is an award-winning children’s book author, supported her acting ambitions, Graham’s father James, an FBI agent, was more skeptical. He would often warn her about the dangers of show business and express concerns about Hollywood’s influence on his daughter.
“My parents were part of a generation that didn’t believe in therapy or discussing personal things,” Graham said. “So I never felt like I could talk to them.”
Despite these challenges within her family dynamic, Graham pursued acting wholeheartedly. She moved from Virginia to Agoura Hills, California with her family at the age of nine and began taking acting classes in Hollywood when she turned 16. Her breakthrough role came in 1989 when she starred in Gus Van Sant’s film “Drugstore Cowboy.”
Throughout the ’90s and beyond, Graham appeared in various films and television shows such as “Boogie Nights,” “Scream 2,” and ”Twin Peaks.” Her most recent project is the horror Western thriller called “Place of Bones,” which premiered on August 23rd.
In addition to acting, Graham has also ventured into writing and directing. Her upcoming film titled “Chosen Family” is set to premiere this October. Furthermore, she will be starring alongside Nicholas Cage in the action-Western film called “The Gunslingers,” scheduled for release next year.
Despite not having contact with her parents for almost three decades due to their differing views on show business and personal matters alike,
Graham continues to thrive as an actress while exploring other creative avenues within the entertainment industry.