12 Stories by Heather Graham Narrated by Heather Graham

      Heather Graham is one of our favorite actresses — a talented performer and creator who seamlessly transitions from indie classics to blockbuster comedies and her own semi-autobiographical narratives.

      At the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival last year, she discussed her extensive career, highlighting collaborations with renowned actors like Robert Downey Jr., Johnny Depp, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, and Burt Reynolds. She also shared about a role she was offered but had to decline due to her strict upbringing.

      Here are 15 anecdotes from Heather Graham, as recounted by her.

      **License to Drive (1988)**

      Born in Milwaukee to a mother who wrote children’s books and a father who was an FBI agent, Graham moved frequently before attending Agoura High School, located west of Los Angeles. Although she had a high IQ, she considered herself unpopular and expressed herself through school plays.

      “In school, I wasn’t regarded as pretty. I had crushes on boys, but they rarely reciprocated,” she told moderator Chris Gardner of The Hollywood Reporter. “I didn’t dress particularly well. My hair was a bit frizzy.”

      Her first leading role in License to Drive paired her with two of the era's biggest teen stars, Corey Feldman and Corey Haim. She portrayed Mercedes, the love interest of Haim's character.

      “I had admired Corey Feldman in Stand By Me and Corey Haim in Lucas and Lost Boys, so it was thrilling to be with people I idolized. I even had a crush on Corey Haim,” she recalled to Gardner.

      She was also surprised by the prevalence of drugs on set: “I was quite sheltered, and being around other kids my age who were using drugs was a new experience for me, as I wasn’t very wild,” she said.

      Graham humorously noted that her casting in License to Drive garnered new interest from her Agoura Hills classmates, who began to question, “Maybe we should’ve noticed her more?”

      **Heathers (1988)**

      She was offered a part in Heathers but couldn’t accept it.

      “I was living at home with my family, and when my parents read the script, they told me I couldn’t do it,” she recounted. “I was really disappointed and later regretted the decision, but they would have kicked me out if I had taken the role.”

      Her upbringing was so restrictive that she had to sneak in R-rated films while babysitting, including Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

      **Drugstore Cowboy (1989)**

      Eventually, she moved out and joined Gus Van Sant’s indie film Drugstore Cowboy, where she played one of four young addicts who rob pharmacies. At that point, Van Sant had not yet gained widespread recognition.

      “I was very sheltered—none of my friends were involved with drugs. I auditioned for it, and he had only made a $20,000 film before. I got the role, and not living with my family anymore gave me the freedom to accept any job I wanted. It was liberating. I began financially supporting myself at 17, starting with License to Drive.”

      Graham felt “very grateful” for Drugstore Cowboy, as it marked the beginning of a thriving period for independent cinema. She admired her castmates' tastes—“I remember James Le Gros reading Bukowski and listening to Tom Waits; nobody in my high school was into that.”

      She received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Drugstore Cowboy, which led to more roles that didn’t require auditions. “As an actor, you often drive around to auditions, changing outfits and trying to get hired, but then I began receiving offers. That was quite nice,” she said to Gardner.

      **Swingers (1996)**

      Graham met Jon Favreau, the writer and star of Swingers, while working on another project. “He told me, ‘I have this movie, and I want you in it’,” she recalled.

      To prepare for her role, they went swing dancing at The Derby, a popular spot in L.A. during the ’90s. “We practiced dancing, and after rehearsals, he’d drive us home while I was really sweaty, and I ended up getting quite sick because we were driving home in the cold,” she noted. “I felt really fortunate to be in that movie and to learn how to swing dance.”

      Due to the low budget, they filmed in a bar filled with regular patrons rather than extras. “We kept a low profile throughout the production,” she recalled, explaining that when someone at the bar hit on her, she had to clarify she was there to shoot a movie.

      **Two Girls and a Guy (1997)**

      “I have an affinity for independent films,” Graham shared with Gardner.

      She starred in the ’90s indie Two Girls and a Guy, where she and Natasha Gregson Wagner portray women romantically involved with Robert Downey Jr.’s un