12 Behind-the-Scenes Stories from Heather Graham, Shared by Heather Graham

      Heather Graham is one of our beloved actresses — a performer and creator who seamlessly transitions from independent films to major comedies to her own semi-autobiographical narratives.

      Last year, she spoke at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival about her extensive career, in which she’s collaborated with a range of talents from Robert Downey Jr. to Johnny Depp, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, and Burt Reynolds. She also recounted a role that should have been hers but was unattainable due to her strict upbringing.

      Here are 15 stories from Heather Graham, shared in her own words.

      **License to Drive (1988)**

      *20th Century Fox*

      She was born in Milwaukee to an FBI agent father and a mother who wrote children's books, frequently moving before settling at Agoura High School, located west of Los Angeles. Although she had a high IQ, she stated she wasn’t very popular and expressed herself by participating in school plays.

      “In school, I wasn’t seen as pretty. I had crushes on boys, but they rarely liked me back,” she shared with moderator Chris Gardner from The Hollywood Reporter. “I didn’t have a great sense of style. My hair was a bit frizzy.”

      Her first leading role in film, *License to Drive*, paired her with two prominent teen stars of the ’80s, Corey Feldman and Corey Haim. She portrayed Mercedes, the love interest of Haim’s character.

      "I had seen Corey Feldman in *Stand By Me* and Corey Haim in *Lucas* and *Lost Boys*, so it felt thrilling to be around those I idolized. Plus, I had a crush on Corey Haim,” she recounted to Gardner.

      She was also intrigued by the drugs present on set: “I was very sheltered, and it was a new experience to be around kids my age using a lot of drugs, as I wasn’t wild like that,” she admitted.

      She humorously noted that landing the role in *License to Drive* garnered new attention from her classmates back in Agoura Hills, making them question if they should have noticed her more.

      **Heathers (1988)**

      *New World Pictures*

      Heather Graham was offered the role in *Heathers* but couldn’t accept it.

      “I was living at home with my family then… and my parents read the script and told me I could not be in it,” she recounted. “I was really upset and later regretted it, but they would have kicked me out if I had done the film.”

      Her home environment was so controlling that she had to sneak in R-rated films while babysitting, including *Fast Times at Ridgemont High*.

      **Drugstore Cowboy (1989)**

      *International Video Entertainment*

      Not long after, she moved out and joined Gus Van Sant’s independent film *Drugstore Cowboy*, in which she played one of four young addicts who rob pharmacies. At that time, Van Sant was not yet a household name.

      “I was very sheltered. I didn’t know anyone involved in that lifestyle. I auditioned, and he had not directed many movies before; he had done a small one called *Mala Noche*. I got the role, and since I was no longer living with my family, I had complete freedom to choose whatever roles I wanted. It was an amazing experience. I started supporting myself at 17, from *License to Drive*.”

      She expressed her gratitude for *Drugstore Cowboy*, which marked the beginning of a “wave of independent filmmaking… an exciting period,” she highlighted. She also admired her co-stars’ taste in culture. “I remember James Le Gros reading Bukowski and listening to Tom Waits — nobody in my high school was into that.”

      Her nomination for an Independent Spirit Award for *Drugstore Cowboy* opened doors for more roles that came her way without the need for auditions. “As an actor, you spend a lot of time driving to auditions, changing outfits, and trying to get hired — and suddenly, I began receiving offers. It was a nice change,” she explained to Gardner.

      **Swingers (1996)**

      *Miramax*

      Heather Graham met *Swingers* writer and star Jon Favreau while working on a different project. “He told me, ‘I have this movie, and I want you to be in it,’” she recalled.

      To prepare for her role, they would go swing dancing together at The Derby, a popular 90s spot in L.A.: “We practiced dancing, and he had a convertible, so we’d drive home really sweaty, and I ended up getting quite sick because we were rehearsing and then driving in the cold,” she said. “I felt really grateful to be part of that film and to learn swing dance in the process.”

      Due to a very limited budget, they filmed at a bar filled with actual patrons instead of extras. “We were pretty much inc