Heather Joan Graham (born January 29, 1970) is an American actress and fashion model. She is best known for her performance in Gus Van Sant's 1989 Drugstore Cowboy and her role as Rollergirl in the 1997 film Boogie Nights directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.She has been part of two ensemble casts that have earned Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations for Outstanding Performance by a Cast
Early life
Heather Graham was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to a family of Irish descent.Her family relocated repeatedly until settling down in Agoura Hills, California when she was nine years old. 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 Agoura High School in California in 1988. In 1986, she appeared on a special "Teen Week" episode of the NBC-TV game show Scrabble.
She was introduced to acting during the school production of Wizard of Oz. Then while still in school she appeared in numerous television commercials, the sitcom Growing Pains and several television movies. She debuted in the 1988 film License to Drive, which was a teen comedy starring Corey Haim and Corey Feldman. Her strict parents forbade her to appear in the 1989 black comedy Heathers, which had an expletive-rich script.
[edit] Career
Her first film appearance was an uncredited cameo in Mrs. Soffel. After turning down the female lead role in Dirty Dancing,[citation needed] her second film appearance was in the television film Student Exchange. 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. Many became familiar with her for these two roles.[5] 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.[citation needed]
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 George Michael Bluth's ethics 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.
Graham voiced the character of Antonia Bayle in the online role playing game EverQuest 2.[citation needed]
She also appeared in The Hangover (film) (2009) as 'Jade' in a supporting role.
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