Why Heather Graham Revealed Her Family Rift: 'Not Pretending That Everything Is Always Fantastic' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Heather Graham attends the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Conversations for “Chosen Family” in 2024.Photo:John Lamparski/Getty

John Lamparski/Getty

Heather Grahamhas been in the acting business for a long time — but not with the support of her parents.

“I was 17 when I didLicense to Drive,” she says about the ’80s classic withCorey Haim. Her career took off from there, and she’s steadily worked over the past three-and-a-half decades in hits likeBoogie NightsandThe Hangover.

But the actress, now 52,recently opened up about her ultra-conservative parentsbeing displeased with her chosen profession, revealing they are no longer on speaking terms. She doesn’t regret being honest about it.

“I mean, it is a little vulnerable to talk about in an interview,” she tells PEOPLE. “And at the same point, I know that there’s a lot of other people who are going through something like it, so I guess I just feel like being honest about my life and not pretending that everything is always fantastic.”

She adds, “I’m okay just being who I am.”

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HEATHER GRAHAM in LICENSE TO DRIVE, 1988.Cinematic / Alamy

Cinematic / Alamy

The actress is currentlystarring in the movieChosen Family, which she wrote and directed. She says the idea of a chosen family — friends that love you no matter what — hit close to home for her.

She toldThe Wall Street Journalin Augustthat her dad hated Hollywood. “He regularly told me that the entertainment industry was evil and that Hollywood would claim my soul,” she told the outlet.

Graham tells PEOPLE she “didn’t get into all the details in the article” about “reasons why I don’t talk to them.” She adds, “But I have very great, very wonderful friends. And so that is a really lucky thing to have in my life.”

She’s also pleased she got to tell a story about a woman, which is her favorite type of content.

Despite her family estrangement, Graham says she’s found a sense of peace in her life.

She also doesn’t buy into the message that women in their 50s are unattractive or disposable. “It’s sort of deciding that you’re sexy, even if you know that the culture is trying to tell you whatever it’s trying to tell you,” Graham says. “It’s just deciding that you feel fabulous and that you look amazing.”

Chosen Familyis in theaters and on demand Oct. 11.

source: people.com