Austin Powers star Heather Graham, who hasn’t spoken to her parents in 30 years, revealed that her father warned her of the entertainment industry before she left home, saying it was “evil” and “would claim [her] soul.”
Graham told the Wall Street Journal that her father “regularly told me that the entertainment industry was evil and that Hollywood would claim my soul if I became an actress and appeared in anything with sexual content.”
The Place of Bones star added that her parents “were part of a generation that didn’t believe in therapy or discussing personal things, so I never felt I could talk to them.”
“At 16, I began driving myself into Hollywood to take acting classes,” Graham continued. “Someone there recommended an agent, and I was cast in the film License to Drive, at 17. My parents were fine with me in that movie. Students had a whole different view of me.”
“When the movie came out, I was 18. Living at home had become more difficult. I said to myself, ‘I’ve got to get out of here, I’ve got to be successful, and I’ve got to be a movie star,’” the Chosen Family star said.
Graham explained that she got “an apartment in West Hollywood with another girl from high school — a working model who was also investing in real estate on the side,” adding, “Living with her was freeing.”
From there, the actress landed roles in Swingers, which led to Boogie Nights, and eventually Austin Powers, she said.
“Today, I live in Los Angeles in a house I bought last year,” Graham said. “I also have a loft in New York. In L.A., my home has views of the Pacific. I love the ocean. I also like sitting out back when writing or preparing for a movie. Nature is inspiring.”
“I stopped talking to my parents when I was 25, and I’m estranged from them now,” the 54-year-old actress revealed. “My friends are proud of me, and I’m proud of myself. I have really good friends.”
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
