Heather Graham
Interview By: Benjamin Lee
Heather Graham is 37! I'm sorry to start with that fact I was just rather shocked when I read it. It makes sense when you look at her resume. She has been working now for 23 years.
Small roles in Twin Peaks and Swingers led to her breakout role in the porn saga Boogie Nights back in 1997. This was her Hollywood calling card and work in blockbusters Lost In Space and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me followed. She cemented her comedy credentials in Bowfinger and ermmm Say It Isn't So. She was the cleanest Victorian prostitute ever in From Hell, gave an acclaimed recurring role in Scrubs and even had her own failed sitcom called Emily's Reasons Why Not.
2007 sees her headlining her own romantic comedy, Gray Matters. Graham plays the titular character Gray who finds herself falling in love with her brother's fianc'. Being involved in a love triangle with Tom Cavanagh and Bridget Moynahan doesn't exactly sound like a tough day at the office but as Graham jokes, three can sometimes still be a crowd.
'Tom and Bridget got along great but they didn't really like me very much' she sighs, 'They got along great, amazing. We all really got along but Tom would just look at Bridget and she would just crack up laughing.' But as Cavanagh is playing Graham's brother, it was only Moynahan who she got to kiss in one of the movie's most talked about scenes. Graham points out the major benefit of kissing a female co-star. 'I think it's softer.'
The film also sees Graham indulging in a lot of singing and dancing. One scene even has her up on stage with Gloria Gaynor. 'Im a huge ham' she admits, 'When I was watching the Gloria Gaynor scene with a friend of mine they just looked at me and they were like oh my God you are loving this scene so much. I was just so excited to be singing with Gloria Gaynor. I'm milking it big time.' Although Graham was worried that her singing might have had a detrimental effect on Gaynor. 'I was worried that I was hurting Gloria's ears!'
Despite being promoted as a 'gay' romantic comedy, Graham is quick to point out that people shouldn't be put off by this labeling. 'I think it's a very sweet movie' she states, 'It's pretty innocent and I don't think it's something that people would find shocking. I think the fact that it's a romantic comedy and it's told in this traditional way, I think it makes the idea less sensational. It's healthy that it's not a great tragedy that she comes out.' Although Graham has obviously not been through the process of 'coming out' herself, she found Gray's plight easy to understand.
'I can relate to it even though I haven't gone through the exact same thing' she confesses, 'I felt like it was about somebody saying this is who I am and can I accept myself and then going yeah I love myself, I think I'm great. I think that's a great message and it's something I strive to do and it's definitely hard.' The judgment that her character fears is also something Graham can relate to. Her openly critical family have often slated her career in the press.
'I've had to struggle with judgment before so I can relate' she tells, 'I think it's something everyone can relate to. It's hard to come to terms with who you are and just accept it.' Something which helped Graham take the lead on set was first-time writer/director Sue Kramer. 'She's like a big cheerleader' she gushes, 'She's hard on you but she's also really supportive. She was so specific and that made me feel good.'
Shooting in New York was another big bonus for the actress, despite the fact that she grew up on the West coast. 'I was raised in LA but I've been living here for five years' she informs, 'It's nice when you get to go home to your apartment. New York is really exciting.' Filming in New York proved to be tough though considering the small scale. 'We're not a huge budget movie so some of the people in the film are just real people walking down the street.' But for the actress who has done her fair share of blockbusters, she's always careful to remember the importance of the little film. 'You think you don't wanna be that person who turns down that little gem' she says.
She also tells of her love for another little gem, Little Miss Sunshine, especially for it's Oscar-nominated star Abigail Breslin. 'I want the little girl' she jokes, 'I wanna borrow her so she can be my little girl!'
Valley girl turned actress Heather Graham is now broadening her range to take on the role of producer. It's something which has given her a hefty shock. 'It's really hard' she tells, 'I always thought producers were these schmoozy people who just went out to lunch and made lots of money and now I'm like this is one of the hardest jobs to do. Tons and tons of work.'
But she's a great believer in happiness above all else, well almost above all else. 'I think everyone has the right to be happy' she believes, 'As long as you're not gonna kill or rape someone.'
