“Austin Powers” star Heather Graham hasn’t spoken to her parents in nearly 30 years.
Graham recalled leaving home at the age of 18 to move to West Hollywood, California, to pursue her dreams of becoming part of the entertainment industry. At the time, her father warned her that Hollywood would “demand more money.” [her] spirit.”
“He told me regularly 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 matters, so I never felt like I could talk to them.”
Heather Graham feels free by her decision not to have children.
Heather Graham hasn’t spoken to her “estranged” parents since she was 25. (Evan Apple/Getty Images)
After the premiere of her film “Drivers License” in 1988, Graham knew it was time to move out of her parents’ home.
“When the movie came out, I was 18, and living at home was getting harder,” she said. “I said to myself, ‘I have to get out of here, I have to be successful, I have to be a movie star.’”
“He would regularly tell me that the entertainment industry was evil and that Hollywood would claim my soul.”
“I found an apartment in West Hollywood with another girl from high school — a model who was also a real estate investor,” Graham continued. “It was a comfortable place to live.”
When Graham was nine years old, her family moved from Virginia to Agoura Hills, California. At the time, the actress felt she had gone from being “famous” on the East Coast to “not fitting in” on the West Coast.
The now 54-year-old actress moved to West Hollywood, California, when she was 18 to attend UCLA. (Venturelli/Wire Image)
“In Virginia, I went through a boyish phase and loved exploring the woods. After we moved, I became isolated. I had to drive everywhere. Without kids to play with on the street, I had fewer social interactions and became insecure. I turned to books and read above my level,” she told the magazine.
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Graham graduated from high school with a 5.0 GPA and went on to study English at the University of California, Los Angeles. After her third year at the prestigious University of Southern California, she decided to drop out to focus on her acting career.
Around this time, Graham landed major roles in the films “Austin Powers” and “Swingers”, which made her realize that she was “self-sufficient” and began to re-evaluate her relationship with her parents.
Graham says she has “really good friends” and is proud of the life she has created for herself. (Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Redbox)
“I stopped talking to my parents when I was 25, and I’m kind of isolated 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 made for herself. “I live in Los Angeles in a house I bought last year. I also have an apartment in New York,” she said, noting that her home on the West Coast “overlooks the Pacific Ocean.”
Graham now owns residences on both the East and West Coasts. (John Scioli/Variety via Getty Images)
“I love the ocean,” she explained. “I also love sitting outside while I write or prepare for a film. Nature is inspiring.”
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Graham has multiple roles in her new film, “Chosen Family.” The actress wrote, directed and stars in the film, which is set to be released in October. She also stars in her next project, “The Gunslingers,” which is set to be released in 2025.
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