‘Austin Powers’ Actress Says Dad Told Her ‘Hollywood Would Claim My Soul,’ Now They’re Estranged

Actress Heather Graham, best known for her roles in movies like “Boogie Nights” and “Austin Powers,” recently discussed being estranged from her parents for decades.

The 54-year-old described her family situation during an interview with The Wall Street Journal that was published Wednesday. 

Graham talked about moving from the East Coast to California when she was 9. “In Virginia, I had a tomboy phase and loved exploring the woods,” she told WSJ. “After we moved, I was isolated. You had to be driven everywhere. Without kids to play with in the street, I had fewer social interactions and grew insecure. I turned to books and read above my level.”

The actress said her parents were not on board with the idea of her having an acting career. 

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“[My dad] regularly told me that the entertainment industry was evil and that Hollywood would claim my soul,” she said while describing her parents as being “part of a generation that didn’t believe in therapy or discussing personal things, so I never felt I could talk to them.” 

Graham decided to move out just after her film “License to Drive,” a teen comedy, was released in 1988. 

“When the movie came out, I was 18,” she said. “Living at home had become more difficult. I said to myself, ‘I’ve got to get out of here, I’ve got to be successful, and I’ve got to be a movie star.’”

“I found an apartment in West Hollywood with another girl from high school — a working model who was also investing in real estate on the side. Living with her was freeing,” she went on. “I stopped talking to my parents when I was 25, and I’m estranged from them now. My friends are proud of me, and I’m proud of myself. I have really good friends.”

Graham wrote, directed, and starred in the upcoming film “Chosen Family,” a comedy-drama about a yoga instructor trying to achieve inner peace despite her chaotic family life. 

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In 2023, the actress said that she “[doesn’t] feel that I’m missing anything” by not having children. 

“I do sometimes feel like my projects are little kids; I have started to get more involved in producing and writing and directing,” she told People magazine at the time.