Childhood & Early Life
Heather Joan Graham was born on January 29, 1970 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Joan and James Graham. Her father is a retired FBI agent while her mother is an author and a teacher.
Graham grew up with her sister Aimee (also an actress). She, alongside her parents and sister, relocated frequently before moving to California when she was nine.
She attended Agoura High School where she was voted "Most Talented." After high school, she attended University of California, Los Angeles where she studied English for two years. After this, Graham withdrew from the university to pursue acting full-time.
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Career
Heather Graham's first big screen role was of a factory Girl in ‘Mrs. Soffel’ (1984); the role was, however, uncredited. She then appeared in the TV film ‘Student Exchange’ after a few years.
In 1986, she appeared in an episode of NBC’s game show ‘Scrabble’. She then went on to appear in several commercials.
Her first high-profile starring role came in 1988 when she appeared as Mercedes Lane in the adventure flick ‘License to Drive’. That year, Graham also had a role in the black comedy movie ‘Heathers’.
She next was featured as Nadine in Gus Van Sant's crime-drama film ‘Drugstore Cowboy’. Her portrayal of a young drug-addicted girl was much appreciated. Soon after, she starred in ‘I Love You to Death’ alongside Keanu Reeves and William Hurt.
In 1991, the actress had a role in the flick ‘Shout’ for which she went on to receive a Young Artist Award nomination. After this, she was cast as Annie Blackburn in the series ‘Twin Peaks’. Graham then reprised the role of Annie Blackburn in the prequel flick ‘Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me’ in 1992.
She starred in the sports-comedy drama ‘Diggstown’ alongside James Woods in 1992. In the year 1993, she got featured in the films ‘Six Degrees of Separation’ and ‘The Ballad of Little Jo’.
With her career on the right path, she began receiving numerous exciting acting roles. She was approached to play a role in the screen adaptation of ‘Even Cowgirls Get the Blues’ (1993) in which she went on to portray a character named Heather.
In the mid-1990s, she starred in the movies ‘Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle’ and ‘Desert Winds’ as well as in the TV program ‘Fallen Angels’. She had a small yet significant role in the 1996 comedy-drama film ‘Swingers’. That year, Graham also had a minor role in the independent film ‘Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story’.
She next starred in the films ‘Nowhere’ and ‘Scream 2’, both in 1997. Then in 1998, she was cast in ‘Two Girls and a Guy’ and ‘Lost in Space’. The following year, the actress played Felicity Shagwell in the hit ‘Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me’. That year, she also appeared in the movie ‘Bowfinger’.
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She had a role in Lisa Krueger’s ‘Committed’ in 2000. This was followed by her role of an unhappily married woman in ‘Sidewalks of New York’.
In the early 2000s, she did numerous big screen projects including ‘Killing Me Softly’, ‘From Hell’, ‘Anger Management’, ‘Say It Isn't So’, ‘The Guru’ and ‘Hope Springs’.
From 2004 to 2005, she appeared as Dr. Molly Clock in NBC-TV's ‘Scrubs’. During this time period, Graham also appeared in an episode of ‘Arrested Development’ as well as in the film ‘Mary’.
She co-starred in the American flick ‘Bobby’ (2006) alongside the likes of Spencer Garrett, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Hunt, Ashton Kutcher, and Shia LaBeouf. After this, she did the films ‘Gray Matters’, ‘Adrift in Manhattan’, ‘Broken’ and ‘Miss Conception’.
In 2009, she played Jade in the movie ‘The Hangover’. Although she didn’t appear in its sequel, she reprised her role as Jade in ‘The Hangover Part III,’ the final instalment of the trilogy.
The American artiste also starred in the film ‘Boogie Woogie’ in 2009. After this, she appeared in a string of unsuccessful films like ‘Father of Invention’, ‘Judy Moody’, ‘5 Days of War’ and ‘About Cherry’.
She lent her voice to the character of Antonia Bayle in a role-playing game titled EverQuest 2. After this, she appeared as Meredith Crown in the drama film ‘At Any Price’ (2012) alongside Zac Efron and Dennis Quaid.
In 2014, Graham starred in the television adaptation of ‘Flowers in the Attic’. The same year, she had roles in the TV movie ‘Petals on the Wind’ as well as in the series ‘Californication’.
She appeared in the TV movie ‘If There Be Thorns’ in 2015. In the ensuing years, she played Tilly in the TV series ‘Flaked’, Diana Duran in ‘Angie Tribeca’ and Judalon Smyth in ‘Law & Order True Crime’. During this time, the actress also contributed to the film ‘Last Rampage’.
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In 2018, she starred as Kim Marsden in the sitcom ‘Bliss’. The same year, she appeared in the comedy flick ‘Half Magic’ which was also written and directed by her.
Personal Life
Heather Graham has been estranged from her parents since her teenage owing to their stringent Catholic beliefs and the actress’ rebellion.
In the year 1988, Graham had a fling with her ‘Drugstore Cowboy’ co-star Matt Dillon. In the 1990s, she dated English pop star Adam Ant. From 1998 to 2000, the actress was in a relationship with Edward Burns. Then from 2008 to 2011, she dated Yaniv Raz. Graham has also dated Heath Ledger and Jason Silva in the past.
She serves as an advocate for the global non-profit humanitarian organization, Children International. The actress also contributes to the Cambodian Children's Fund and helps raise money to support underprivileged kids.
She enjoys cooking, practising yoga, as well as playing poker.
In 2005, Graham was chosen as the TV model and spokeswoman by Garnier for its hair care products.
Facts About Heather Graham
Heather Graham is a dedicated advocate for animal rights and has been a vegetarian since she was a teenager.
She is also a talented writer and has authored several books, including a novel titled "The Accidental Diva."
In addition to her acting career, Heather Graham is a skilled painter and has had her artwork featured in galleries.
She is known for her love of yoga and meditation, which she credits for helping her maintain balance and peace in her life.
Heather Graham is fluent in Spanish and has often used her language skills to connect with fans from different backgrounds.
