Heather Graham has been around a lot longer than most people realize. She had an early role in a Haim/Feldman “Coreys classic”, got caught up in the craziness of James Woods and somehow clawed her way to being Hollywood’s “it” girl for a few short years in the mid 90’s. And then, she vanished into virtual obscurity.
What the hell happened?
I pride myself on having an eye for talent. So when I saw Swingers in 1996, I felt like I had discovered “that funny guy” (Vince Vaughn) and “the blonde at the club” (Heather Graham). I watched their careers with interest as their stars rose. I rooted for them both to succeed and felt validated when they both became big stars.
I did not anticipate that “the big guy” (Jon Favreau) would go on to direct Iron Man. But I was happy for him too.
Over the years, you can imagine my embarrassment as I came to realize that Graham had been around for years before Swingers. Not only that, but I had actually seen a lot of her work without taking much notice.
Heather Graham’s first role was an uncredited cameo in the Mel Gibson-Diane Keaton prison romance, Mrs. Soffel in 1984. She was 14 years old. That fresh face I “discovered” in 1996 had been working for 12 years by then. Ooops.
In fairness, you can’t blame a 14-year-old boy for missing a Diane Keaton movie. Especially Mrs. Soffel.
Graham’s first credited roles weren’t until 1987 when she appeared in two episodes of Growing Pains and a TV movie called Student Exchange.
Ohhh, that Mike Seaver. I wonder what he’s up to now…
Man, I did not see that coming. Anyway…
In 1988, Graham got her first significant role opposite the Coreys (Feldman and Haim) in License to Drive.
Graham was Corey Haim’s dream girl named (get this) Mercedes Lane. Because, you know, cars.
Being a 17-year-old dude, the Coreys were no more appealing to me than Diane Keaton. So I missed this one too. But the reviews were surprisingly positive for a movie starring Corey and Corey. License to Drive was a hit at the box office.
Later that year, Graham had a small but important role in the Ivan Reitman comedy, Twins.
When I read that Heather Graham was in Twins, I assumed she was one of the girls the twins met up with in their travels. But no, it turns out Graham played Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito’s mother in flashback.
Heather Graham as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito’s mom. Only in the movies.
Graham was the first choice to play Heather Chandler opposite Winona Ryder and Christian Slater in the 1988 black comedy, Heathers. But the young actress’ parents objected to the subject matter and refused to let her play the part. When Lehmann couldn’t change Graham’s mother’s mind, they cast their second choice who happened to be Slater’s girlfriend at the time.
I really wanted to cast Heather Graham, and her parents wouldn’t let her do it. She was 16 or 17. I even talked to Heather’s mother at great length to convince her we weren’t tools of Satan, and she would have nothing of it. I really tried. I mean, I begged her. Heather’s reading was just great. Then the casting director said, ‘Well, Kim Walker might be good. She doesn’t have a lot of experience, but…’
Instead, Graham played a drug addict in Gus Van Sant’s 1989 breakthrough movie, Drugstore Cowboy opposite Matt Dillon.
It was a supporting role, but the reviews were great. Drugstore Cowboy was a small movie, but it was seen by casting agents.
In 1990, she had a small role in Lawrence Kasdan’s black comedy, I Love You to Death.
Like a lot of Kasdan films, I Love You to Death had a star-studded cast. Even the bit parts were filled with the likes of Keanu Reeves and William Hurt. I recently re-watched I Love You to Death specifically to spot Graham. Blink and you will miss her.
In 1991, Graham appeared opposite John Travolta and Jamie Walters in the rock-and-roll coming-of-age film, Shout.
At the time, Travolta was squandering his Look Who’s Talking career bump. And Walters was on his way to becoming the “How Do You Talk to an Angel Guy”.
For what it’s worth, I hear it’s like trying to catch a falling star.
Anyway, Shout was a bomb. Travolta was nominated for a Golden Raspberry. And Heather Graham moved on to greener (and weirder) pastures.
In 1990, David Lynch’s Twin Peaks was a cultural phenomenon on TV. It launched the careers of actresses like Sherilyn Fenn, Mädchen Amick and Lara Flynn Boyle.
The first season was critically acclaimed and a ratings winner. But in the second season, things started to fall apart rather quickly. I was a die-hard Peaks Freak, so please bear with me while I reminisce.
As the ratings started to decline, ABC got nervous. They insisted that Lynch solve the show’s central mystery by revealing the identity of Laura Palmer’s killer. Lynch insisted that doing so would kill the show. But he relented to studio pressure.
Unfortunately, Lynch was right. With the killer revealed, Twin Peaks lost its reason to exist. The writers scrambled to find new stories to tell. But nothing they came up with worked. Instead of being strangely compelling, the second season of Twin Peaks was often just dumb.
In the midst of all this, there was a struggle between the writers and the show’s star, Kyle MacLachlan. The writers kept trying to link MacLachlan’s popular character, Agent Cooper, with the show’s most popular female character played by Sherilyn Fenn. They figured a romance between the show’s most popular characters would ignite the ratings.
But MacLachlan objected on the basis that Agent Cooper was an upstanding FBI agent and Fenn’s character was supposed to be a high school student. Reportedly, MacLachlan’s then girl friend, Lara Flynn Boyle, was also irritated watching her beau film love scenes with Fenn. So she was pressuring MacLachlan to nix the romantic rubplot as well. The issue got so heated that MacLachlan threatened to walk off the show if the writers didn’t cut it out.
The writers complied and new love interests were created for both MacLachlan and Fenn. Billy Zane was brought on board to woo Fenn.
Graham played MacLachlan’s new love interest, despite being a younger actress than Fenn. Her character, Annie Blackburn was created for the sole purpose of being Agent Cooper’s love interest/damsel in distress. She had all the depth you would expect from such a character.
A year ago when Twin Peaks was still a hot show, such a role would have made Graham a huge star. But by this point, cancellation was right around the corner. ABC was bouncing Twin Peaks all over the schedule. Fans had trouble finding the final episodes on which Graham’s character appeared.
We aren’t quite done with Twin Peaks just yet. In 1992, after the show was cancelled, David Lynch directed a Twin Peaks movie called Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.
Some of the TV cast refused to come back. They were upset about the way the show had ended and thought they could do better on their own. That worked out reasonably well for Lara Flynn Boyle. But not so well for Sherilyn Fenn.
Kyle MacLachlan originally opted out of the movie for fear of type casting. Reluctantly, he agreed to a reduced role. The show had ended on a cliffhanger with Graham’s character’s life in the balance. But without full participation from MacLachlan, that story would have to wait.
Instead, Fire Walk With Me was a prequel to the show. MacLachlan had an extended cameo. Graham appeared for a moment teasing a sequel that would follow up on the show’s unfinished plot threads.
Unfortunately for Twin Peaks fans, there was a huge backlash against the show after its cancellation. Fire Walk With Me was booed at Cannes and bombed at the box office. The sequel in which Graham would likely have had a more significant role was never made.
In 1992, Graham also appeared opposite James Woods in the boxing movie, Diggstown.
Woods played a con-man who teams up with Louis Gossett, Jr. to hustle a rich man played by Bruce Dern out of $1.5 million dollars with a boxing sting. Graham played the sister of one of Woods’ prison acquaintances.
Diggstown got mixed reviews and did so-so box office. But it is significant to Graham because, like Sean Young before her, she began a relationship with her co-star. Graham was 22 and Woods was 44 at the time.
Woods, charmer that he is, summarized their relationship thusly to Movieline magazine in 2000:
Q: Your name has been linked with more than a few women in Hollywood. What was it like for you and Heather Graham, with whom you once said you were “wildly in love”?
A: Heather and I were together literally every day for almost a year. Now she has some sort of revisionist view of it–I read in the press she said something like, “I don’t know what I was doing. I must have been looking for a father figure.” Hey, all I remember is a wonderful time with a beautiful young woman who I thought would grow into a very successful actress, as she has. I always felt I was nice to her and it was a great experience. When we run into each other, it’s always cordial.
Q: It lasted as long as it was supposed to, it sounds like.
A: Actresses are very conflicted about a lot of things, like being mothers, for instance. They keep thinking, is my body going to change? Am I going to lose my beauty? In Hollywood, the appeal lies in being a young hottie– that’s where the employment is. I had a conversation with Heather when she was, like, 21, and I asked, “Do you ever think about getting married?” And she’s like, “Yeah, when I’m about 35. I’ll meet somebody and have a kid when I’m about 40.” Susan Sarandon ruined the world when she had a kid when she was, like, fucking 96 years old. Now, every actress wants to wait to have a kid at 90.I said to Heather, “How do you know you’ll get the same attention from men when you’re that age?” She was like, “Oh, you just like me for my blonde hair, my blue eyes and my big tits?” There was too long a pause before I answered, “Well…” and she just stormed out. That was the beginning of the end.
James Woods, ladies and gentlemen. Now would be a good time to lock up your daughters.
In 1992, Graham appeared in the Hallmark TV movie, O Pioneers! Jessica Lange starred as a setller who has to keep the family together and save their farm after the death of her father. David Strathairn played Lange’s suitor who gets the townsfolk talking. Graham played Lange’s character in her youth. Anne Heche appeared in a small role.
In the early 90’s, Graham was still paying her dues with small roles in three movies. She played “Cowgirl Heather” for her Drugstore Cowboy director, Gus Van Sant, in Even Cowgirls Get the Blues.
Uma Thurman played a woman with strangely large thumbs. This is actually a key plot point. She uses her enormous thumbs to hitchhike. In her travels, she crosses paths with Keanu Reeves,Sean Young, Graham and an assortment of other oddballs.
The film was savaged by critics. After its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in 1993, its release was delayed for more editing. But the changes didn’t save the film which eventually opened to bad reviews and flopped at the box office.
Graham also appeared in Six Degrees of Separation opposite Donald Sutherland and Stockard Channing.
In 1994, Graham had a bit part in Alan Rudolph’s Dorothy Parker bio-pic, Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle. Jennifer Jason Leigh starred as Parker. Graham played the wife of one of the members of the Vicious Circle.
In 1995, Graham appeared in an episode of Showtime’s neo-noir show, Fallen Angels. Graham played a police officer’s daughter who is kidnapped along with an actor played by Bill Pullman. The episode was directed by John Dahl and based on a story by Mickey Spillane
Cut to 1996. Graham had a small but eye-catching role opposite Jon Favreau in the comedy, Swingers.
She doesn’t do much more than awkwardly flirt with Favreau and cut up the dance floor. But it was extremely memorable.
The scene occurs towards the end of the movie as Favreau’s character, Mike, finally gains some confidence. Mikey’s all grown up!
Swingers was a hysterical indie comedy. It got great reviews and was a cult hit at the box office.
It was so money! Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Vegas, baby!
If you have no idea what I am talking about, go check out Swingers and thank me later.
That same year, Graham played an android on the Showtime series, The Outer Limits. In the episode, humans are extinct and only androids remain. Graham uses human DNA to resurrect the human race. Cain, the first new human, was played by former Twin Peaks co-star, Dana Ashbrook.
In 1997, Graham had small roles in two more high-profile movies. First, she played “Rollergirl” in Paul Thomas Anderson’s ode to 70’s porn, Boogie Nights.
Boogie Nights was extremely well-reviewed and a hit at the box office.
Graham came from a strict Catholic family. Remember, her mom wouldn’t let her appear in Heathers when she was younger. With Boogie Nights, Graham became estranged from her family. In 1999, Graham told USA Weekly:
“Isn’t it bizarre that people have been embracing that religion and all the strict rules for, like, centuries? Everyone’s got their struggles in life. That’s mine.”
Later that year, Graham had a celebrity cameo in the horror-movie-within-a-horror-movie in Scream 2. Graham played the movie version of the character Drew Barrymore played in the original movie. Got that?
The Scream sequels gradually chipped away at the reputation of the original. But in 1997, doing a cameo in Scream was still cool.
In 1998, Graham had her first shot at real stardom with a decent-sized role in a mainstream movie. Unfortunately, that movie was the big screen adaptation of the 60’s TV show, Lost in Space.
Lost in Space wastes a great cast that includes Graham, William Hurt, Mimi Rogers and Gary Oldman. Oh, and also Matt LeBlanc and a pre-Maxim Lacey Chabert. I actually got a copy of Lost in Space for free when I bought my first DVD player and I still felt cheated out of two hours of my life I couldn’t get back.
The reviews for Lost in Space were negative. But in spite of the reviews, Lost in Space was actually a modest hit at the box office. In fact, it finally unseated long-standing box office champ, Titanic, after an amazing 15-week run.
As successful as Lost in Space was, it still fell short of the studio’s expectations. The cast was signed on for sequels that would never be made.
At roughly the same time as Lost in Space was stinking up the multiplexes, Graham was also appearing in the little-seen James Toback film, Two Girls and a Guy, opposite Robert Downey Jr.
Two Girls and a Guy is the kind of movie actresses are supposed to do in between main stream movies to show their range. But in the pre-Iron Man days, Downey wasn’t much of a draw. Most people never heard of the film in which he two-times Graham with Natasha Gregson Wagner.
(Don’t feel bad. I had to Google Natasha Gregson Wagner too.)
In 1999, Graham finally had her big year. Although, in retrospect, it wasn’t as big of a year as I remembered.
First, she appeared opposite Mike Myers in the Austin Powers sequel, The Spy Who Shagged Me. The sequel focused on Powers going back in time once again to recapture his lost mojo. While back in the 60’s, he meets a free-spirited secret agent played by Graham.
The first Austin Powers film was a modest hit that attracted a larger following on video. The sequel brought the franchise to the masses. It wasn’t nearly as fresh or funny as the original. But it was a huge hit that saturated pop culture for years.
But as big as The Spy Who Shagged Me was, there was no mistaking the fact that it was Mike Myers movie. He played multiple roles and kept all the good lines for himself. Graham did little more than wear short skirts.
Even Mini-Me upstaged her.
Later that summer, Graham appeared opposite comedy legends Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy in Frank Oz’s under-rated Hollywood satire, Bowfinger.
Martin played a down-on-his-luck movie producer trying to make a low budget science fiction movie. Murphy plays dual roles. He plays a big action star and his goofy brother. Graham plays an actress looking for her big break.
Graham summarized her role in Bowfinger thusly:
“It’s about these losers in Hollywood who want to make a movie, and I’m this naive, innocent girl who wants to be an actress. I’m willing to stop at nothing.”
Graham’s character is actually a thinly-veiled dig at Martin’s ex, Anne Heche. Graham’s character hails from Heche’s home state of Ohio, dates an older man played by Martin and comments at the end of the movie that she is seeing “the most powerful lesbian in Hollywood.”
Bowfinger got very good reviews. It did well at the box office, but was not a runaway hit. Which is a shame because it may be the last funny movie either Murphy or Martin ever starred in.
In 2000, Graham finally (finally!) got her first chance to star in a movie. That movie was the quirky indie comedy, Committed.
Graham stars as a young woman whose husband, played by Luke Wilson, abandons her with little explanation. Eventually, she goes searching for him despite the fact she does not know where he went. Based on a post card with a cactus on it and an illegible post mark, she decides to look for him in Texas. The entire state of Texas.
I won’t even attempt to describe the randomness of Committed. At one point, Graham is kissed on the mouth by a character played by Casey Affleck. She kisses him back and then scolds him.
“I’m married,” she says. “Plus you’re my brother!”
I only wish the rest of the movie was half as good as that line. Although I did think it was kind of cool that the movie co-starred Patricia Velásquez. Both she and Graham would later go on to guest roles on Arrested Development.
In 2001, Graham had a busy year with three releases. The first of which was the Farrelly brothers comedy, Say It Isn’t So.
Chris Klein played an orphan who discovers that his girl friend, played by Graham, may be his sister. After they break up, he discovers that they are not related after all. So he travels across the country to try to win her back before she marries someone else. Incest humor ensues.
Just a few years before, the Farrelly brothers had a massive hit with their gross-out comedy, There’s Something About Mary. That film made stars out of Ben Stiller and Cameron Diaz. Say It Isn’t So attempted to do the same thing for Klein and Graham.
Obviously, lightning didn’t strike twice. Say It Isn’t So got terrible reviews and flopped at the box office.
2001 was Graham’s year for being directed by brothers, because her next film was the Hughes brother’s adaptation of Alan Moore’s graphic novel, From Hell.
From Hell starred a pre-Pirates Jonny Depp as a turn-of-the-century police inspector investigating Jack the Ripper. Graham played a prostitute who could be the next victim.
From Hell got mixed-to-positive reviews and was a respectable hit at the box office. Especially when you take into consideration that Depp was not yet the A-list powerhouse he would later become.
Graham ended the year with a role in the Ed Burns comedy/drama Sidewalks of New York.
Graham played a real estate broker unhappily married to Stanley Tucci. Although she is too moral to cheat on her husband, she finds herself flirting with a character played by Burns. Little does she know, her husband is having an affair with an NYU student played by Brittany Murphy.
Roger Ebert summed up Sidewalks of New York thusly:
“The movie lives at the intersection between Woody Allen and Sex and the City…[It] is funny without being hilarious, touching but not tearful, and articulate in the way that Burns is articulate, by nibbling earnestly around an idea as if afraid that the core has seeds.”
Sidewalks was another “prestige” movie that just didn’t register with critics or audiences.
In 2002, Graham played another porn star in the Hollywood/Bollywood mash-up, The Guru.
Jimi Mistry plays an Indian actor who moves to New York. When he tries to get an acting job, he unwittingly auditions for a porno where he meets Graham’s character. Through a series of misunderstandings and coincidences, he winds up posing as a sex guru with Graham’s help.
The Guru hoped to bring the Bollywood musical to American audiences. But in spite of decent reviews, Americans weren’t having it. We barely tolerate American musicals.
In 2002, Graham also appeared in the erotic thriller, Killing Me Softly.
Graham played a website designer who leaves her nice, boring boyfriend to start a relationship with a dangerous mountaineer played by Joseph Fiennes. It turns out her new lover has some secrets along with a bondage fetish.
Killing Me Softly was the first and only English-language film from Chinese director, Chen Kaige. Expectations for the film were sky-high. To say the movie disappointed would be a tremendous understatement. As of this writing, it has a 0% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
In 2003, Graham had an uncredited role in the Adam Sandler/Jack Nicholson comedy, Anger Management. It was a hit, but Graham was barely in it.
She also had a starring role in Hope Springs with Colin Firth and Minnie Driver. That film got mixed reviews and bombed at the box office.
By 2004, the former Felcity Shagwell’s “It Girl” status had been revoked. She was sentenced to starring in the Rosemary’s Baby rip-off, Blessed.
The one saving grace is that she appeared in an episode of Arrested Development that year. Graham played George Michael’s ethics teacher. George Michael naturally has a crush on her. Through a series of comic misunderstandings, she ends up dating his father played by Jason Bateman.
Arrested Development lead to a recurring role on the TV comedy, Scrubs from 2004-2005. During the nine-episode run, she played Zach Braff’s dream girl. She also proved that she had the light comic chops for a TV sitcom. So it was no surprise when she was given her own series in 2006.
In Emily’s Reasons Why Not, Graham played an author of self-help books who is unsuccessful in her own love life. She sets a rule that if she can think of five reasons to end a relationship, then she has to.
The show was panned by critics for being a dumbed-down network version of Sex In the City. As one critic put it “over a million ‘reasons why not’ for this sorry show.” The ratings were so dismal that ABC cancelled the series after airing only one of the seven episodes that were completed.
In 2009, Graham had a small but memorable role as a stripper in The Hangover. Finally, Graham was in a hit!
The Hangover was such a big hit, that it inspired a sequel. Just about the entire cast returned except for Heather Graham. Although Graham will be returning for The Hangover 3.
The Hangover didn’t lead to much else. More direct-to-video releases. A cameo in Scream 4 (although I am not certain whether or not that was reused footage from Scream 2).
Graham’s biggest movie post-Hangover was Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer in 2011. The movie attempted to be the female Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
It was panned by critics and bombed at the box office.
In 2011, almost everyone from the original Hangover came back for the inevitable sequel, The Hangover Part II. Graham was not invited back. The movie was a hit despite mixed to negative reviews. That was good news for Graham because it meant that The Hangover Part III would be made. Graham was invited back for the final movie in the trilogy.
Reviews for Part III were universally negative. But the movie was a hit anyway.
In 2013, Graham starred opposite Carrie-Anne Moss in the indie thriller, Compulsion.
Graham played an obsessive chef who dreams of having a cooking show. Moss played an anorexic former child star who moves in next door. Graham’s character becomes obsessed with feeding Moss who is equally obsessed with not eating. Somehow this leads to kissing and murder.
Originally, the movie was set to shoot in 2009 with Marisa Tomei and Liv Tyler. Tomei would have played the anorexic actress while Tyler played the chef. In order to appear slightly over-weight (yeah, right!) Graham gained 10 pounds and wore foam padding.
In 2014, Graham appeared in the Lifetime adaptation of V.C. Andrews’ pulpy novel, Flowers in the Attic.
Graham plays a widowed mother of four who locks her children in an attic under the care of their abusive grandmother (played by Ellen Burstyn.) Mad Men‘s Kiernan Shipka plays theoldest daughter, Carrie.
The critics were not impressed with Lifetime’s take on the cult classic Gothic horror novel. But audiences showed up in droves hoping to see a better adaptation than the one that was released in theaters in 1987. That movie set a very low bar and Lifetime managed to clear it. By how much is debatable.
Next: Petals in the Wind and Californication
Flowers in the Attic was such a hit in the ratings that Lifetime turned around and released a sequel just a few months later. Petals on the Wind was based on the second book in Andrews’ series. Since it takes place ten years after the first movie, all of the children had to be recast. But Graham and Burstyn reprised their roles.
Lifetime announced that they would adapt the last two books in the series as well. Graham will return for the third movie, If There Be Thorns which will debut in 2015.
Graham appeared in several independent films in 2014. She played a sexy lawyer in the comedy, Behaving Badly.
Natt Wolff starred as a young man who has a crush on a girl played by Selena Gomez. He goes to great lengths to try to win her heart which brings him into contact with several eccentric characters.
The cast included Mary-Louise Parker, Elisabeth Shue, Dylan McDermott, Jason Lee, Cary Elwes and Gary Busey. The movie was actually completed in 2012 but sat on a shelf for two years before being released. Ric Browde, the author of the autobiographical novel the movie is based on, has disavowed the adaptation.
The movie was seen by very few critics, but those that saw it did not like it. The review in Variety read:
This ruthlessly unfunny misfire should be quickly relegated to an IMDb trivia question after a brief theatrical bow.
And that’s basically what happened.
Graham appeared in a small but significant role in the horror-comedy, Horns.
Former wizard Daniel Radcliffe played a young man suspected of killing his girlfriend played by Juno Temple. His attempts to clear his name are complicated as he starts developing devil-like horns. With the horns come strange powers like the ability to control snakes. Also, everyone around him starts confessing their deepest, darkest secrets.
Horns premiered at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival. It received a limited release in theaters in 2014 and was made available on demand. Reviews were mixed. The movie, which is based on a novel of the same name by Joe Hill (Stephen King’s son), is kind of a mess.
Also in 2014, Graham appeared in nine episodes of the Showtime series, Californication. It was the show’s seventh and final season. I am catching up on the show on Netflix, so I’m not going to read about what her role was. Let’s assume she had sex with David Duchovny until I see otherwise.
Graham ended 2014 with a small role in the divorce comedy, Goodbye to All That.
Paul Schneider starred as an oblivious man who is surprised when his wife announces she is leaving him. As a new bachelor, he stumbles through a series of dates and one-night stands. Graham played one of the women he goes out with.
Reviews were mixed and the movie was released video on demand.
So, what the hell happened?
Well, after researching this article I have come to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe, James Woods was right. But I’m not happy about it.
I am sorry to say that I still have no idea who she is….although I saw The Hangover. No other films listed here ring a bell.
I whole heartedly recommend Swingers and Boogie Nights.
Bowfinger is also pretty great.
I believe Mike Tyson shows up @ the end of Hangover 2
Dang, you’re right! So everyone came back except Graham. That’s a shame.
My first memory of Graham was seeing her in Drugstore Cowboy. My friends and I had a great time watching that movie. NO HATS ON BEDS!!! While Graham was never a particularly versatile or super naturalistic actress, her charm and immediacy on camera is easy to underestimate. There are plenty of actors/actresses who are considered to be better then she is who do not posses those qualities to the degree that she does. Also, she’s real purty. I love the idea of having readers vote on stuff. Maybe we could vote on a mandatory Disney photo for you to collect… Read more »
Feel free to set up any polls you like. Let me know if you have questions about how to do it. It took some trial and error to get this one working. It’s not exactly intuitive. I never saw Drugstore Cowboy. Until I did this write-up, I had no idea she was in it. But I’ll definitely have to track it down. I always confused it with Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. I agree that Graham has a lot of qualities that make her a pleasing presence on screen. Not just her looks, which are nice. It takes a certain… Read more »
Her choice of roles did seem to be routinely sexualized. She maybe could’ve profited from a few more “good girl” type roles. From what I understand, her parents would’ve preferred that path as well. They were apparently very conservative and protective (who could blame them, and their fears may have been realized through her eventual career choices). One rumour says that her parents stopped her from accepting a role in “Heathers.” It’s a great film as is, but wouldn’t it gain a little extra appeal if Graham had played the unhappy go-along cheerleader? Nothing against the actress who did the… Read more »
I could definitely see Graham as a minion Heather. She even had the first name for it. Her family was indeed quite religious and I understand they stopped talking to her after Boogie Nights. Which is a shame. Perhaps after that, she figured why not go for broke. I don’t know that I needed to see her play more “good girls” per se. But she had a real nack for light comedy. I really think she would have shined on TV if she had been on the right show. She was great on Arrested Development and Scrubs. But I guess… Read more »
That’s a good fit for her. She was good on Scrubs and Arrested Development.
I think her small role in “Arrested Development” was her best work. She was hilarious. She was also good in a recurring role on “Scrubs.”
I thought I was the only person who thought “Bowfinger” is underrated. I love that movie. As for “Killing Me Softly,” I’ll admit this. The movie is as bad as you’d imagine, but I’ve seen it more than once. Well, after the first times I just skip to certain scenes on the DVD…
I agree she was great on AD and Scrubs. But then again, those shows were great. They took folks like Carl Weathers and Tara Reid and made them look good. So I don’t know how much credit to give Graham and how much to give the shows she was on.
Bowfinger is an overlooked classic. I keep waiting for people to catch up.
I’m going to have to track down Killing Me Softly. It has to be more entertaining than Committed.
Agree about her TV work and how great Bowfinger was- i loved it – also loved Bulworth, another underrated classic- it’s interesting to hear you saw Vaughn as a star in Swingers- I loved her and John Favreau- never been able to stand Vaughn- everything about him bothers me-
I think she is perfect for Tim Burton—surprised he didn’t grab her- she is so quirky
and she is perfect quirky for the Coen’s too-
I hate to take away Tara Reid’s one good role, but I’d cast Graham in The Big Lebowski.
I had a connection with Swingers. I had a college buddy who was a lot like Vaughn’s character. And I suppose I was a lot like Mikey. I had slowly come to an epiphany about my old college pal similar to the one Mikey has at the end of Swingers. Long story short, it wasn’t just hysterical. I could relate to it a little too well. I thought Favreau was very good in Swingers, btw. I just didn’t figure he had a Hollywood look. Swingers aside, I figured he would be a supporting actor. Which is basically how his acting… Read more »
You may have heard this before: Graham resembles another hot actress, Marley Shelton. Unlike Graham, though, she has never been in a major movie that was successful.
That’s for sure! They are dead ringers in a lot of ways. This illustrates a point about how there just aren’t enough parts out there for actresses in Hollywood. There are a lot of “Heather Grahams” out there and not enough parts for one of them. Much less the Marley Sheltons of the world.
Maybe Heather Graham’s problem at least now, is that Hollywood has no use for fifty-year-old bombshells of minimal talent. With all due respect, what exactly was Heather’s appeal besides her blonde hair, big eyes, and big boobs? She in was other words, simply a beautiful blonde, but that’s pretty much it. And those age out by mid 30s. With that being said, I don’t think that we should out and out feel bad for her. She’s been a working actress since she was a teen, and she enjoyed A-list or near A-list status (her peak was obviously, Boogie Nights and… Read more »
I just realized that Marley was in Scream 4 herself. Weird.
She was. And when I watched it, I asked myself “Who is that actress who looks like a young Heather Graham?”
Scream 4 was really bad, btw. I so enjoyed the original. But each sequel chipped away at what made the first movie special. I didn’t think they could get much worse than Scream 3, and yet, they did.
Speaking of the “Scream” franchise, I wouldn’t mind seeing a “What the Hell Happened to…” on Neve Campbell: http://www.pajiba.com/career_assessments/neve-campbell-career-assessment-the-reluctant-scream-queen.php Subject: Neve Campbell, 37-year old Canadian actress Date of Assessment: April 13, 2011 Positive Buzzwords: Scream queen, television Negative Buzzwords: Limited range, ambivalent The Case: Ah yes, I vaguely recall an actress named Neve Campbell, who was fortunate enough to strike upon a rather popular franchise and make some quick cash before the world discovered that she possessed the a mere three facial expressions and, well, that was it. In short, Neve Campbell was the Kristen Stewart of the 1990s, albeit… Read more »
Remember when Neve Campbell was going to be huge?
http://officialfan.proboards.com/thread/462683/remember-when-neve-campbell-huge
Perhaps the problem with “Scream” (not just the first movie but the franchise as a whole) in retrospect, is that a lot of people took it seriously and didn’t get the joke. The first one aged okay because of the mostly spot-on parody nature of the movie, but the second and third movies (and a lot of other terrible “slasher” movies made around the same time) played it all straight and nearly killed the genre. More to the point the “Scream” movies, especially the first one (and the opening of the second one) are really “one time viewing” type flicks,… Read more »
I’m not sure I agree. I know I have watched the first Scream many times and still enjoy it. Obviously, it doesn’t pack the punch of that first viewing. But it’s still an entertaining movie. I actually saw Scream before it came out. It was one of those movies where I would occassionally drop into a theater to watch the audience watching it. It was fun because word of mouth slowly built the audience for it. So for several weeks, there were first time viewers who were screaming their heads off. If I could time it right, I stopped in… Read more »
It more than likely did limit her appeal as well as her cosmetic procedures in recent years (although her defenders say that it was out of necessity due to Rose being in a serious car wreck). Then again, I thought that Rose’s “Scream” co-star Drew Barrymore’s “weird behavior” w/ Tom Green around the time that the first “Charlie’s Angels” film was coming out, would seriously hurt her appeal (Drew even cameoed in Tom Green’s notorious “Freddie Got Fingered”). Rose did get a nice run on “Charmed” after Shannon Doherty was fired, but not much else.
10 Most Overrated Horror Films Of The Past 20 Years: http://whatculture.com/film/10-most-overrated-horror-films-of-the-past-20-years.php/10 Scream What The Critics Said: “A deft, funny, shrewdly unsettling tribute to such slasher-exploitation thrillers as Terror Train, New Year’s Evil and Wes Craven’s own A Nightmare On Elm Street.” (Entertainment Weekly) Why They’re Wrong: Scream came along at just the right moment – after years of films like Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday and Hellraiser: Bloodline, it looked like the Citizen Kane of slasher movies. Now that the dust has settled, we can see that it wasn’t. The film more closely resembled Scooby Doo, and it… Read more »
I actually don’t feel that “Scream” is overrated at all, especially considering previously films that tried to do take-offs on the horror genre (“1981’s “Student Bodies”, which I think has a clever moment in the very beginning and that’s it, and 1987’s “Return to Horror High”, which I’m fond of, but I think the plot confuses itself) didn’t quite hit the mark. It is true that the film came along at the right moment, but that was because the kids that grew up viewing those 1980’s slashers were maturing into self-aware teenagers (most of whom were wise to horror film… Read more »
Under-rated and over-rated is a tough call because it depends on your peer group. A few weeks ago, a FB friend posted that Scream was the greatest horror movie ever made. I responded that while I like the movie, it’s not even the best horror movie Wes Craven ever made. There have been times when, yes, I think Scream was probably over-rated. But I think at this point, it’s probably reached an appropriate level of appreciation.
I couldn’t say that “Scream” is the best horror film ever made myself, just on the reality that it’s existence depended on the creation of the horror film genre; without those, there would be nothing to be self-aware about. However, I can understand why people would feel that way.
The best Wes Craven film for me will always be “A Nightmare on Elm Street” for its ingenuity, but I think 1999’s “Music of the Heart” is also seriously good, and he was capable of films of that type, if he was allowed.
I agree that Craven’s best horror movie was the first Nightmare. Scream is a fun movie and probably my choice for Craven’s second-best horror movie. I’m looking to do some horror content in October, so we can continue this conversation then. 😉
Lost in Space really wasn’t as bad as everyone makes it out to be…I thought it was a fun movie.
I knew someone would come along to defend LiS. 😉 You’re not wrong. If you turn your brain off, it can be a fun popcorn flick. It’s not that much worse than the averegae Hollywood sci fi movie. I think LiS got unfairly ganged up on because it was such a transparent attempt to start a franchise based on an old TV show. It’s success and sequels were taken for granted. So when it was so formulaic and, well, stupid, it became a target. I am admittedly being slightly unfair to it based on what it could have been with… Read more »
How about a WTHH? on Heather’s ‘Boogie Nights’ co-star Burt Reynolds? He’s had as many ups & downs as Travolta.
Someone on the FB page also recommended Reynolds. I plan to get to him. But it will be a large undertaking. I doubt I’ll get to him this year.
Pretty sure you’ll see him in 2013.
Burt Reynolds kind of (within the context of the WTHHT series) strikes me as a male Kim Basinger. Both were at their peak, sex symbol type actors whose careers took a serious hit due to financial issues (i.e. bankruptcy) and messy divorces (Burt was married to blonde bombshell on her own, Loni Anderson). Both Burt and Kim in the mid-late ’90s made pseudo comebacks to respectability (i.e. “Boogie Nights” and “LA Confidential respectively), that somehow turned out to be anti-climatic.
i definitely think burt reynolds, kurt russell and nick nolte need write ups.
I have plans to do all three eventually. Of the three, I think Kurt Russell is likely to happen first. I’ve been watching a lot of John Carpenter movies recently.
In the late 90s I had the impression she was popular because of all the big movies she was in at the time. Then she disappeared for like ten years doing all those straight-to-video movies (though I do remember seeing ads for her TV show that lasted 1 episode). Can’t say she was missed. She’s not a great actress, but she doesn’t have any charm either…nothing to set her apart.
Yeah, I had the perception that she was on her way up based on Swingers, Boogie Nights and Austin Powers. But in retrospect, she didn’t really have much to do with those movies’ success.
Exactly. Any pretty actress could have played those roles. She was easily replaceable. Though, to her credit, she was funny in Bowfinger.
That is the one thing I have to give her. She excelled at light comedy. That’s why I am surprised she never made it on a sitcom. But I guess there were dozens if not hundreds of other girls who could fill those roles.
Does that therefore, make Heather Graham the female, ’90s equivalent to Steve Guttenberg!?
I can’t equate the two as I have always had a major movie crush on Graham. You may be on to something, but I see the Gute as a regular guy who got extremely lucky and Graham as a super hottie who should have worked more.
By the way, the James Woods quote about Susan Sarandon is hilarious and so true.
Perhaps Heather Graham’s problem is that she had what could be regarded as four major studio flops in a row: “Say It Isn’t So”, “From Hell”, “The Guru” and “Killing Me Softly”. So that more than anything, killed a lot of momentum for her. You can also make the argument that Heather Graham was for the most part, always an actress who was really strong and likable in certain things and then terrible in others. I’ve read theories on her IMDb message board that she probably also didn’t have a huge female fanbase, which actresses need to keep getting studio… Read more »
Yeah, I think all of those things contributed. I was always surprised she didn’t settle into sitcom work based on her guest spots on Scrubs and Arrested Development. It seemed like a good fit. But I guess the one show she attempted was a huge flop too.
I’m going to say no, they weren’t. I was a Graham fan when they were released and I had never heard of those movies until I wrote this article.
And From Hell was a disappointment, but not a flop. But her box office track record was unquestionably bad.
10 Great Film Ideas Utterly Wasted On Terrible Actors: http://whatculture.com/film/10-great-film-ideas-utterly-wasted-on-terrible-actors.php/8 3. From Hell – Heather Graham Everyone loves a fresh interpretation of serial killer Jack the Ripper, who went on one of the world’s most famous unsolved murder sprees. It’s not Johnny Depp’s best work, but the premise is sound and for the most part the idea has real potential. He plays the drug-addicted inspector gamely enough, and Ian Holm turns in a panto performance that oddly works with the sinister Victorian atmosphere. The film falls apart, however, with Heather Graham’s performance as a Whitechapel prostitute in danger of becoming… Read more »
I feel that in general Heather Graham is convincing as an actress (I liked her in that film “Cherry”, which is the last recent film I viewed her in). Maybe I’m influenced by “Drugstore Cowboy” a little (not my favorite Matt Dillon film; that would be “Rumble Fish”), but I always thought she has something to offer to a character in terms of gravitas.
I used to consider myself a Heather Graham fan. She’s certainly fetching and I think she has a gift for light comedy. It helps when she’s in Bowfinger and surrounded by Eddie Murphy and Steve Martin or guest starring on a quality sitcom like Scrubs or Arrested Development. But I have definitely seen Graham deliver some incredibly wooden performances. In those Flowers in the Attic movies, she is either giving a brilliantly bad performance on purpose or she is the worst actress in a cast that includes some really leaden actors. I’m afraid I can’t give her the benefit of… Read more »
Wow, you know I’ve never seen that version of “Flowers in the Attic” (for a fun reference, Victoria Tennant starred in the 1987 film, who was married to Steve Martin, and Steve Martin acted with Heather Graham in “Bowfinger”) but man, I really liked the book. So, she really does phone it in there?
Uh… I wouldn’t quite say that. She appears to be giving it her all. Phoning it in would probably have been less embarrassing. It’s remotely possible that she pitched her performance to the cheesy level of the movies and if that’s the case, she’s brilliant. But I’ve seen her be equally terrible in other movies. Check out her brief appearance in the Daniel Radcliffe movie Horns for an example. Lifetime adapted all 4 of the original VC Andrews novels and they are appropriately bonkers. Unlike the feature film, the TV movies leave in the objectionable material. But it’s all done… Read more »
Wow, that sounds perfectly awful. I almost have to see it just for information. For what it’s worth, I’ve always liked Louise Fletcher (tough films to find in which she is positive though:-).
So has Heather Graham surrendered to giving high end performances? Speaking of “Boogie Nights”, Burt Reynolds ticks me off. Now, there’s an actor that became cheesy through choice, then got upset that he wasn’t taken seriously. I liked much of his work, but I didn’t get his attitude at all.
Hope springs eternal. If the right project comes along, Graham could be good again.
Totally agree about Reynolds.
Maybe the whole “Flowers in the Attic” material just doesn’t translate well to film. No offense to Kristy Swanson (I like the film “Deadly Friend”, though even THAT book was better), and I didn’t know Heather Graham got hammy. Okay, I recently viewed that film with Luke Wilson and her, “Committed”. I thought it was okay, but I liked what Heather Graham did with her character. I’m sticking with the fact that she can act, and to rhyme all the time.
I have seen some bad acting from Graham. But I thought she was perfect for Austin Powers. Whoever wrote this comment should try watching Graham in the Flowers in the Attic Lifetime movies.
The Decade’s Ten Biggest Flameouts — The Rae Dawn Chong Effect:
http://www.pajiba.com/seriously_random_lists/the-decades-ten-biggest-flameouts.php
Heather Graham
Best Known For: Boogie Nights (1997)
Last Significant Role: Minor part in The Hangover (2009)
What Happened: She can’t act; Hollywood figured It out.
TV shows canceled after one episode http://www.looper.com/89234/tv-shows-canceled-one-episode/ Emily’s Reasons Why Not (2006) It was probably a bad sign that Emily’s Reasons Why Not was the production of a company called Pariah Television. ABC reportedly spent $5 million on an ad campaign for the midseason launch of this sitcom about how dating is hard and weird, starring the always likable Heather Graham. The former Rollergirl starred as Emily, a woman unlucky in love trying to figure out who not to date and why. Each episode followed a theme, suggested by potential episode titles like “Why Not to Date a Twin” or “Why Not… Read more »
‘Emily’s Reasons Why Not’: Because Once Was Enough: http://splitsider.com/2013/03/emilys-reasons-why-not-because-once-was-enough/ There must be a special type of indignity felt when you are canceled after one episode – only nineteen English language shows throughout the entire history of television have had that honor, after all. After being chosen among multitudes of other pilots, to be one of the select few to actually make it to air, to only be told that twenty two minutes was more than enough, thanks? Emily’s Reasons Why Not is the one show out of the lucky nineteen that is most likely remembered by the American public, mostly… Read more »
What happened to Heather Graham?: http://media.gunaxin.com/what-happened-to-sexy-hotheather-graham/1644 So what did happen to Heather Graham? As in, why does it seem like she’s fallen off the face of the earth? I guess you could say this happens to a lot of actresses. She had good looks, but not so much on the acting talent side of things. And careers for actresses on the whole don’t have the longevity of their male counterparts. Let’s take a look at her career path. Her first credited acting appearance was in an episode of Growing Pains in 1987 (maybe she can hang out with Leo DiCaprio… Read more »
What the Hell Happened To Heather Graham: http://www.zimbio.com/Heather+Graham/articles/DFqHN06DLeg/Hell+Happened+Heather+Graham Heather Graham is a beautiful woman that can really act. Have you seen her in Boogie Nights? She’s amazing as Roller Girl and I don’t just mean her boobs. But I have to ask what happened to her? Did she try to hold on to cute to long? Did she try to play sexy and not smart? She was just in the Hangover and got good reviews but that doesn’t make up for not knowing when to grow up and move on from just sexy….She should learn from her screen co-star Julianne… Read more »
Whatever Happened To… Heather Graham: http://fetchmemylolly.tumblr.com/post/25138246487 The character of Annie Blackburn was Heather Graham’s first stand-out role, after playing support characters in I Love You To Death, Drugstore Cowboy and Shout. The character, even in today’s terms, is outstanding. Annie was presented with a complex and emotional backstory. In more simplistic terms, if Audrey was the femme fatal, Annie was the angel. Her clothes, hair and body language all conveyed a simple and understated grace, not frigidity. While there were religious and spiritual issues conveyed surrounding her sexuality, to me, it never seemed to veer off in the direction of,… Read more »
Assessing Heather Graham: License to Strip: http://www.pajiba.com/career_assessments/heather-graham-career-assessment-license-to-strip.php Subject: Heather Graham, 41-year old American actress Date of Assessment: June 8, 2011 Positive Buzzwords: Nudity, beauty, sleep Negative Buzzwords: Romcom, limited appeal and talent The Case: People like to talk about the so-called “downward trajectory” that Heather Graham’s career has supposedly taken. Still, she’s worked steadily since her first movie role in 1988’s License to Drive (the one where both Coreys stuffed her in a car trunk), which she followed up with an acclaimed turn in Drugstore Cowboy and an adorable character, Annie Blackburn, on the second season of “Twin Peaks.” Then,… Read more »
Heather did good in the overrated Hangover movie. and looks great, what age barrier !?