Heather Graham has been estranged from her parents for almost 30 years.
The 54-year-old Boogie Nights star has opened up about her difficult childhood in a new interview, revealing she wasn’t happy at home with her schoolteacher mother and FBI agent father.
She moved out of the family home at the age of 18 after landing her first film role, and has now admitted she hasn’t spoken to any of them since she was 25.
Heather told the The Wall Street Journal‘I stopped talking to my parents when I was 25 and now I’m estranged from them.’
She went on to explain her difficult teenage years living at home, saying: ‘Home and school were not happy places when I was growing up… My father, James, was an FBI agent.
‘He regularly told me 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 Graham has been estranged from her parents for almost 30 years. The Boogie Nights star, 54, has opened up about her difficult childhood in a new interview, revealing she was unhappy at home with her schoolteacher mother and FBI agent father.
The Hollywood star who appears in a school portrait from her childhood shared on Instagram
‘My mother, Joan, was an elementary school teacher… But my parents were part of a generation that didn’t believe in therapy or discussing personal things, so I never felt like I could talk to them.
“To my credit, my mother supported my creative side and my ambition as an actress. However, it was a mixed message, as my father was totally against it and my mother did little to protect me from him.”
Heather was 17 when she landed her first major role in License to Drive.
She said living at home became “harder” after the movie came out, so she decided to become a movie star and moved into a shared apartment in West Hollywood and her career eventually took off.
Heather now owns two homes and has the support of a close circle of friends. 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 on Italy.
She moved out of the family home at the age of 18 after landing her first film role, and has now admitted she hasn’t spoken to any of them since she was 25.
In an Instagram post captioned ‘I love Italy in real estate’ with a red heart emoji, she could be seen wearing a green bikini while in a changing room on the shore.
The star had a towel over her head as she showed off her fantastic figure complete with muscular abs and arms.
The beauty was also spotted in a pink evening gown as she stepped out for dinner with her boyfriend.
The beauty looked like she was having the time of her life while on the coast of Italy.
Heather was accompanied on the trip by her boyfriend John de Neufville and they posed side by side in many snaps.
The Chosen Family actress and the snowboarder were first linked in 2022, and stepping outside of Hollywood has been a welcome change for Heather.
“Of course, you want someone to understand your crazy schedule, which is different than a normal job, but I like dating someone who’s not in the business,” Heather told People in 2023.
“It helps you put things into perspective. Sometimes your job becomes very important to you and then you realise there are so many other things going on in life. It’s not all about the world of film.”
The Twin Peaks star – who previously dated Heath Ledger and Josh Lucas – shared that John considers himself “more of a sporty guy” and decided to dive into his film schedule for the first time.
“Even the ones that I’m so embarrassed about!” Heather joked to the outlet. “But he always tells me I was great 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 decided not to get married or have children, she shared: “I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.”
But Heather feels her career has served as a substitute for children.
“If you’re meant to have kids, you have them,” she admitted. “And if you’re not meant to have kids, then the universe gives you someone or something to take care of.”
She went on to explain her difficult teenage years living at home, saying: “Home and school were not happy places when I was growing up… My father, James, was an FBI agent. ‘He would regularly tell me 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 and they posed side by side in many snaps.
‘Sometimes I feel like my projects are little children; I’ve started to get more involved in producing, writing and directing.’
And Heather doesn’t take for granted having a long list of films on her resume, including Drugstore Cowboy, The Hangover, Bowfinger and Boogie Nights.
“I’m grateful to be in some things that people remember and to be able to keep working,” she said enthusiastically. “A lot of people want to be actresses and never get to work. I have to make a living doing this, so I’m grateful.”
Graham at the Places of Bones screening in Los Angeles on August 13