Heather Graham has opened up about becoming completely estranged from her parents, adding that she’s “proud” of where she’s at right now.
The model and “Austin Powers” actress, 54, said she became estranged from her mom and dad after they warned her about the dangers of Hollywood.
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Graham revealed that she left home at 18 to try her luck at making it big in the entertainment industry.
At the time, her father warned her that “evil” Tinseltown would “claim [her] soul.”
“He regularly told me that the entertainment industry was evil and that Hollywood would claim my soul,” she said.
The former model said her parents “were part of a generation that didn’t believe in therapy or discussing personal things, so I never felt I could talk to them.”
After landing her first role in the 1988 film “License to Drive,” Graham knew it was time for her to move out and begin living alone.
“When the movie came out, I was 18, living at home had become more difficult,” she explained. “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 added.
Graham explained that after her family relocated from Virginia to Agoura Hills, Calif., when she was just 9, she battled with losing her “popular” status at school and becoming an outcast on the West Coast.
“In Virginia, I had a tomboy phase and loved exploring the woods. 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,” she told the outlet.
Graham graduated from high school with a 5.0 GPA and enrolled at UCLA to study English.
After her junior year at the university, she decided to drop out to focus on her acting career.
At this time, Graham landed major roles in the films “Austin Powers” and “Swingers,” which made her realize she was “self-sufficient” and she began to reevaluate her relationship with her parents.
“I stopped talking to my parents when I was 25, and I’m estranged from them now,” Graham said. “My friends are proud of me, and I’m proud of myself. I have really good friends.”
The “Hangover” actress admits that she’s proud of the life she’s built.
“I live in Los Angeles in a house I bought last year. I also have a loft in New York,” she said, noting that her West Coast home “has views of the Pacific.”
“I love the ocean,” she continued. “I also like sitting out back when writing or preparing for a movie. Nature is inspiring.”
