Heather Graham, 54, has been estranged from her FBI agent dad and schoolteacher mom for 30 YEARS – she explains why
Heather Graham has been estranged from her parents for nearly 30 years.
The 54-year-old Boogie Nights star opens up about her difficult childhood in a new interview, saying she was unhappy at home with her schoolteacher mother and FBI agent father.
She left home at 18, after landing her first film role, and now admits she hasn’t spoken to any of them since she was 25.
Heather told the Wall Street Journal: ‘When I was 25, I stopped talking to my parents. Now I’m estranged from them.’
She went on to explain how difficult her teenage years were when she was still living at home: “Home and school were not nice places to grow up… My father, James, was an FBI agent.
‘He regularly told me that the entertainment industry was bad and that Hollywood would claim my soul if I became an actress and appeared in anything with sexual content.
Heather Graham has been estranged from her parents for nearly 30 years. The 54-year-old Boogie Nights star has opened up about her difficult childhood in a new interview, revealing that she was unhappy at home with her schoolteacher mother and FBI agent father
Graham’s parents Joan and Jim seen in a 2023 Facebook post
The Hollywood star featured in a childhood school portrait shared on Instagram
‘My mother, Joan, was an elementary school teacher…
‘But my parents were from a generation that didn’t believe in therapy or discussing personal matters, so I never felt like I could talk to them.
‘My mother supported my creative streak and my ambition to act, I must admit.
“But it was a confusing message, because my father was strongly against it and my mother didn’t do much to protect me from him.”
Heather was 17 years old when she landed her first major role in License to Drive.
She said it became “harder” to live at home after the film came out.
She decided to become a movie star and moved into a shared apartment in West Hollywood, and her career took off.
Heather’s sister Aimee Graham is an actress/writer/director.
Heather’s sister Aimee Graham is an actress/writer/director. And Aimee seems to still be close to her parents, as she can be seen on her mother’s Facebook page
Aimee has worked on the films Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth (2000), From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), and Brokedown Palace (1999). Seen in an Instagram post from August 14
Aimee worked on the films Shriek If You Know What I Did Last Friday the Thirteenth (2000), From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) and Brokedown Palace (1999).
And Aimee still appears to be close to her parents, as she can be seen on her mother’s Facebook page.
Heather now owns two homes and relies on a close circle of friends for support. She said: ‘My friends are proud of me and I’m proud of myself. I have really good friends.’
This comes after she shared several photos from her trip to Portofino in Italy.
Heather left home at 18 after landing her first film role – and she’s now admitted she hasn’t spoken to any of them since she was 25
In an Instagram post captioned “Amo l’Italia in estate” with a red heart emoji, she was seen in a green bikini in a changing room on the coast.
The star wore a towel on her head as she showed off her fabulous figure, complete with abs and toned arms.
The beauty was also spotted in a pink evening dress as she headed out for dinner with her boyfriend.
The woman seemed to be enjoying herself on the Italian coast.
Heather was accompanied on the trip by her boyfriend John de Neufville and they posed next to each other in many photographs.
The Chosen Family actress and the snowboarder were first linked in 2022, and for Heather, dating outside of Hollywood is a welcome change.
“Of course you want someone to understand your busy schedule, which is different than a regular job, but I like dating someone who is not in the business,” Heather told People in 2023.
“It puts it into perspective. Sometimes your job becomes so important to you, and then you realize there are so many other things going on in life. It’s not all about the film industry.”
The Twin Peaks star, who previously dated Heath Ledger and Josh Lucas, said John considers himself “more of a sports guy” and decided to dive into the Rolodex of her films for the first time.
“Even the ones that I’m so embarrassed about!” Heather joked to the outlet. “But he always says I was amazing and he’s really impressed. It’s sweet.”
Heather told the Wall Street Journal: ‘I stopped talking to my parents when I was 25, and now I’m estranged from them’
And although the License to Drive actress chose not to get married or have children, she said, “I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.”
However, Heather feels that her career is a temporary solution for children.
“If you’re meant to have children, you’ll have children,” she admitted. “And if you’re not meant to have children, the universe will give you someone or something to take care of.”
She went on to explain her difficult teenage years at home, saying, “Home and school were not nice places to grow up… My father, James, was an FBI agent. He would tell me regularly 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.”
Heather was accompanied on the trip by her boyfriend John de Neufville, with them posing side by side in many photos
‘Sometimes I feel like my projects are little children. I’ve gotten more and more involved in producing, writing and directing.’
Heather doesn’t take it for granted that she has a long list of films on her resume, including Drugstore Cowboy, The Hangover, Bowfinger and Boogie Nights.
“I’m grateful that I’m in things that people remember and that I still get to work,” she raved. “So many people want to be actors and never get work. I have to support myself with this, so I’m grateful.”
Graham at the screening of Places of Bones in Los Angeles on August 13