Heather Graham
4.5
2 votes
Age: 40
Heather Joan Graham is an American actress and fashion model.
Heather Graham was born January 29, 1970, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to a family of Irish descent. The eldest of two children, her younger sister, Aimee Graham, is also an actress and writer. Their mother, Joan, is a teacher and noted author of children's books, and father, James Graham, a retired FBI agent. The girls were raised with family values that followed a strict traditional Catholic upbringing. Graham graduated from the Agoura High School in California in 1989. In 1986, she appeared on a special "Teen Week" episode of the NBC-TV game show Scrabble.
After high school, Graham enrolled in extension classes of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), where she met actor James Woods. They became romantically involved during the the time she was cast in the movie Diggstown, where he had landed the starring role. After two years there, Graham withdrew from school at UCLA to pursue acting full time, over her parents' objections. She then moved to Hollywood, where she worked different jobs while continuing to establish herself as an actress.
Graham was cast in a number of parts as a supporting actress including the part of Nadine in the 1989 film Drugstore Cowboy. In 1991, she appeared in the TV series Twin Peaks as Annie Blackburn, Dale Cooper's second-season love interest. Her breakthrough role proved to be that of 1970s porn starlet "Roller Girl" in 1997's Boogie Nights, in which she appeared in scenes with frontal nudity and received several award nominations. Her first starring role was in 1999 as Felicity Shagwell in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. She also appeared in the music video for Lenny Kravitz's cover of "American Woman" by The Guess Who.
Although Graham has taken roles in mainstream films, including Mary Kelly in the 2001 film From Hell, based on the story of Jack the Ripper, and Judy Robinson in 1998's film Lost In Space, she has also been cast in a number of independent films. Some of those films, like 2002's The Guru, have brought her critical praise, however, she has also starred opposite Joseph Fiennes in the less successful film, Killing Me Softly. In 2001, Graham was named by People Magazine as one of the "100 Most Beautiful People in the World", in which Graham ranked in the top fifty.
Graham also played herself on one episode of the TV series Sex and the City. She was given special guest-star status on several episodes of NBC-TV's Scrubs during its fourth season (2004–2005), and also appeared in a small role as a teacher in an episode of Fox's television series, Arrested Development. In 2005, Graham became the spokeswoman and TV model for the Garnier brand of hair care products. Graham's print ad for Skyy vodka, which was photographed in 2003 (titled "#3, Entourage") is still appearing in national magazines today. In 2003, she also posed for a photoshoot by photographer Sam Jones, during which she was levitated several feet into the air by a magician, who later also sawed her in half. Graham also appeared in Anger Management (2003) as Kendra, the girl in a Boston bar.
Graham starred in the ABC-TV comedy series Emily's Reasons Why Not, in 2006. However, ABC canceled the show after its first airing on January 9, 2006. Graham had posed for a Life Magazine cover story, printed weeks in advance of the assumed series schedule, referring to her as "TV's sexiest star" which appeared two weeks later in their January 27, 2006 issue. Billboard ads remained in place promoting the show weeks after the cancellation.
Graham voiced the character of Antonia Bayle in the online role playing game EverQuest 2.
See also: Model, Actress, American
