“Austin Powers” star Heather Graham hasn’t spoken to her parents in almost 30 years.
Graham recalled leaving home at 18 to move to West Hollywood, California, to follow her dreams of becoming part of the entertainment industry. At the time, her father warned her that Hollywood would “claim [her] soul.”
“He regularly told me that the entertainment industry was evil and that Hollywood would claim my soul,” Graham said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. She noted 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.”
HEATHER GRAHAM FEELS ‘FREE’ WITH HER DECISION TO NOT HAVE KIDS
Following the premiere of her movie “License to Drive” in 1988, Graham knew it was time to move out of her parents’ home.
“When the movie came out, I was 18, living at home had become more difficult,” she said. “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.’”
Graham continued, “I found an apartment in West Hollywood with another girl from high school — a working model who was also investing in real estate on the side. Living with her was freeing.”
When Graham was 9 years old, her family relocated from Virginia to Agoura Hills, California. At the time, the actress felt that she went from being “popular” on the East Coast to not “fitting in” on the West Coast.
“In Virginia, I had a tomboy phase and loved exploring the woods. After we moved, I was isolated. You had to be driven everywhere. Without kids to play with in the street, I had fewer social interactions and grew insecure. I turned to books and read above my level,” she told the outlet.
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Graham graduated from high school with a 5.0 GPA and went on to study English at UCLA. After her junior year at the prestigious Southern California university, she decided to drop out to focus on her acting career.
At this time, Graham landed major roles in the films “Austin Powers” and “Swingers,” which made her realize she was “self-sufficient” and she began to reevaluate her relationship with her parents.
“I stopped talking to my parents when I was 25, and I’m estranged from them now,” Graham admitted. “My friends are proud of me, and I’m proud of myself. I have really good friends.”
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The 54-year-old actress is proud of the life she has created for herself. “I live in Los Angeles in a house I bought last year. I also have a loft in New York,” she said, noting that her West Coast home “has views of the Pacific.”
“I love the ocean,” she explained. “I also like sitting out back when writing or preparing for a movie. Nature is inspiring.”
Graham wore multiple hats for her new film, “Chosen Family.” The actress wrote, directed and starred in the movie, which is set to bow in October. She stars alongside Nicolas Cage for her next project, “The Gunslingers,” which is due to be released in 2025.
