{"id":2345519,"date":"2026-03-25T21:07:51","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T21:07:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2345519"},"modified":"2026-03-25T21:07:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T21:07:51","slug":"heather-graham-on-aging-in-hollywood-and-finding-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/heather-graham-on-aging-in-hollywood-and-finding-love\/","title":{"rendered":"Heather Graham on Aging in Hollywood and Finding Love"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Watching Heather Graham<\/strong> <\/a>pose in a pair of baby-blue roller skates on a gorgeous L.A. day in late February, it\u2019s almost impossible to believe it\u2019s been nearly three decades since she starred as Rollergirl in Paul Thomas Anderson<\/strong>\u2019s cult classic Boogie Nights<\/em><\/a>. While the actress hasn\u2019t changed much on the outside (she still has that sweet smile, blonde waves and killer legs), she\u2019s gone through quite a profound internal transformation since her early days in Hollywood. \u201cI didn\u2019t really know how to stand up for myself. I had to learn how to set boundaries. It took me my whole life, and I\u2019m still learning,\u201d Graham tells Us Weekly<\/em>. \u201cI\u2019m not saying I\u2019m always happy, but I feel like I\u2019ve figured out how to enjoy my life more as I get older.\u201d<\/div>\n

Self-care is a top priority, and her winning formula is a combination of yoga and meditation, healthy eating (balanced with occasional splurges, like treats from trendy bakery Beverly Hills Cookies), laser treatments (\u201cit\u2019s better to look slightly older than like you had some weird plastic surgery\u201d), therapy and a close-knit circle of friends who are always ready to cheer her on (like when she sent them early images from our shoot!). \u201cYou have to fill your own cup,\u201d notes Graham, who\u2019s dating Italian director Michele Civetta<\/strong>. \u201cThen you can give from the overflow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sitting down with Us<\/em> on set at a private Beverly Hills residence, Graham reflects on her enduring career \u2014 including her new darkly comedic horror film They Will Kill You<\/em>, costarring Patricia Arquette<\/strong> and Zazie Beetz<\/strong>, out March 27 \u2014 as well as her future plans and whether marriage is in the cards.<\/p>\n

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<\/div>
Brandon Harman<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

I remember when I was 22, I looked at myself in the mirror and thought, \u201cOh my god, I have a line under my eye!\u201d It\u2019s sad how we do this to ourselves. [Thinking more positively] has been a gradual process. I do a lot of affirmations. There\u2019s a book called You Can Heal Your Life<\/em> by Louise Hay<\/strong>; you create affirmations, so if you wake up and don\u2019t think you look amazing, you tell yourself [you do]. It feels very loving.<\/p>\n

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\"Heather<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>Heather Graham: 25 Things You Don\u2019t Know About Me!<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\t\u00a0 For more than three decades already, fans have watched \u2014 and grown to love \u2014 Heather Graham star in blockbuster hits, such as 1988\u2019s License to Drive and 1997\u2019s Boogie Nights. Now, with her latest flick, Wander, out, the actress exclusively opened up to Us Weekly with 25 things about herself \u2014 including what [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Would you say you\u2019re getting better with age?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I feel like I\u2019m getting happier.<\/p>\n

What have you let go of that you used to care about?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I used to [wonder], \u201cDo people like me?\u201d If I was with 10 people and nine people said, \u201cYou\u2019re amazing,\u201d and one was like, \u201cI don\u2019t like you,\u201d I\u2019d try to convince them to like me. Then I thought, \u201cThat\u2019s a waste of my time and energy.\u201d I want to go where the love is.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your idea of success at this point in your life?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m grateful I can support myself financially. I don\u2019t need to go to a guy [and say], \u201cCan I please buy this?\u201d And I\u2019m grateful I get to do what I love. I love movies and TV, and I get to meet all these interesting people. You can always say, \u201cI wish I had this or that,\u201d but I\u2019m very grateful for what I have.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m more up for adventure. I\u2019m writing and producing, finding scripts and optioning them. I wish I would\u2019ve started doing it in my 20s. I\u2019m so inspired by women like Issa Rae<\/strong> that take matters into their own hands.<\/p>\n

Tell Us<\/em> about your new movie, They Will Kill You<\/em>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I describe it as Quentin Tarantino<\/strong> doing a horror movie. It\u2019s like Tarantino mixed with Get Out<\/em> mixed with Rosemary\u2019s Baby<\/em>. There\u2019s humor to it. It\u2019s not just super dark; there\u2019s a lot of fun and action and comedy. It was fun to do\u00a0 something new.\u00a0 Zazie and I have a lot of fight scenes, and I definitely wanted to do some of the stunts myself.<\/p>\n

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Warner Bros.\/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
You\u2019ve done a bunch of yoga retreats<\/a>. What\u2019s your health and wellness philosophy like?<\/strong><\/div>\n

If you don\u2019t have your health, you don\u2019t have anything. It\u2019s wild to see all these amazing, beautiful performers [who are] sick or dying. I\u2019m lucky to be alive and healthy. That\u2019s No. 1, over my career and over everything else.<\/p>\n

Being in nature is important, and being around people who love you. A lot of it is food and exercise.<\/p>\n

Coming up in the \u201990s and early 2000s, did you ever feel pressure to diet or be super thin?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I had unhealthy eating habits. In my early 20s, I was obsessed with sugar. I\u2019d be like, \u201cI don\u2019t want to have dinner, so I\u2019m going to eat eight candy bars or a pint of ice cream.\u201d Then I\u2019d be like, \u201cThat was bad, so now I\u2019m not going to eat any regular food.\u201d There was a period where I was eating frozen yogurt for dinner and lunch. When I started meditating, I got into eating healthier food.<\/p>\n

Do you still indulge?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I recently had a birthday, and [was sent] Beverly Hills Cookies. I can have two cookies. But I can\u2019t keep it in my house because I don\u2019t have any control. [It\u2019s like] that episode of Sex and the City<\/em> where Miranda couldn\u2019t stop eating brownies, so she threw them in the trash, then she took them out and ate them, and then had to pour soap on them.<\/p>\n

What do you think about weight loss drugs?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I can totally see the appeal. Some people say it\u2019s amazing, but I\u2019m fearful people haven\u2019t been taking it long enough to know if there are bad side effects. I\u2019m just going more for working out and dieting.<\/p>\n

These days, celebs are being more open about going under the knife. Have you done anything?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve never cut my face open. I\u2019ve tried microneedling and Botox. I don\u2019t have any filler now, but I\u2019ve tried it. I\u2019m more into lasers. My goal<\/a> is to look natural \u2014 I don\u2019t want to look freaky. I wouldn\u2019t completely rule it out, though.<\/div>\n

Do you think it\u2019s gotten easier to age in Hollywood?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It used to be that if you weren\u2019t married at a certain [time], you\u2019re a spinster. The culture is now embracing female empowerment, especially in music. I was listening to Miley Cyrus<\/strong>\u2019 \u201cFlowers,\u201d and I love that there are women writing these songs. I recently went through a breakup, and I listened to the girl power, angry songs. Dua Lipa<\/strong>, Doechii<\/strong>, Cardi B<\/strong>, thank you for helping me through my breakup!<\/p>\n

As an actress, do you worry about getting older?<\/strong><\/p>\n

For me, it\u2019s asking, \u201cWhat do I want?\u201d Not, \u201cDo you think I\u2019m getting older?\u201d Or \u201cHow does everyone see me?\u201d I want to be telling my own stories, and I want to go on a yoga retreat and this is the kind of person I want to date and these are the friends I want to be around. It\u2019s about self-esteem.<\/p>\n

Sounds like you\u2019ve figured it out.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u2019re all aging, and hopefully, we get to live a long life. What\u2019s the other option? [I focus on] how I can enjoy and appreciate the life I have.<\/p>\n

You played sexy characters in films like Boogie Night<\/em>s and Austin Powers<\/em>. Did you ever feel stuck in those kinds of roles?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was a nerd when I was younger. I didn\u2019t dress well, and I was very shy. When I started to play sexy roles, this other side of me came out, and that was fun and freeing. There\u2019s a part of you that\u2019s just so grateful someone thinks you\u2019re sexy, but there are moments where I\u2019ve felt that, creatively, I haven\u2019t gotten to do everything I want because [I\u2019m] seen in a certain way. When I was coming up, there was more negativity towards women being sexual.<\/p>\n

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\"Boogie<\/div>
New Line\/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
Were you ever treated a certain way because of the characters<\/a> you played?<\/strong><\/div>\n

In certain ways, I was treated unfairly. You get cast in these roles, and they\u2019re written by men and directed by men, and then they act like, \u201cWhy are you so sexy?\u201d And you\u2019re like, because I need to pay my bills, dude. [Laughs<\/em>.] Sometimes people didn\u2019t see me as the strong, intelligent person I am.<\/p>\n

Did you have any negative experiences with costars or directors?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was never sexually harassed in a sex scene. Did Harvey Weinstein<\/strong> try to sexually harass me? Yes. Thank God he didn\u2019t physically attack me, but he was basically like, \u201cI\u2019ll give you a job\u2026 if you have sex with me.\u201d I didn\u2019t, and he never worked with me. I am so impressed by Ashley Judd<\/strong> [one of the first celebs to speak out about Weinstein\u2019s abuse]. I wish I would\u2019ve reported him.<\/p>\n

How did you protect yourself when you were younger in Hollywood?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Being in this business was great for me because\u2026 making money allowed me to move out [of my house]. [My father would] say, \u201cWhen you\u2019re under my roof, you do what I say.\u201d So I was like, \u201cI\u2019m going to make my own money and be under my own roof.\u201d<\/p>\n

Is there anything you wish you knew before you were famous?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I started going to a 12-step group called Al-Anon about 15 years ago. I never had a problem with drugs and alcohol, but I had a problem with dysfunctional relationships. When you\u2019re a people pleaser, others can manipulate you more easily. [Al-Anon] helped me learn how to stand up for myself.<\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>\u2018The Hangover\u2018 Cast: Where Are They Now?<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tThe Hangover perfectly captured a guy\u2019s weekend gone horribly wrong \u2014 and kick-started some major Hollywood careers in the process. The 2009 film follows Doug (Justin Bartha) and three of his friends (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis) as they risk it all during Doug\u2019s bachelor party in Las Vegas. However, things take a [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

How did you avoid some of the typical pitfalls of fame?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I never went to Jeffrey Epstein<\/strong>\u2019s island\u2026 I\u2019m thinking about [that topic] too much. I am very hardworking, and I feel like I\u2019m meant to be doing this. I recently started working with a new acting coach, and I love what I do and I\u2019m always trying to learn and do it as well as I can.<\/p>\n

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\"Heather<\/div>
Brandon Harman<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Do you take criticism to heart?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was backstage at a talk show once, and Bradley Cooper<\/strong> and Will Smith<\/strong> were there. And they both said, \u201cIf you ever Google yourself, that\u2019s like cutting.\u201d It\u2019s basically torturing yourself. I don\u2019t go looking for that.<\/p>\n

Are there any roles you regret taking \u2014 or not getting?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve definitely made some mistakes \u2014 things I was offered and didn\u2019t do, and things I really wanted that turned out great. I really wanted to be in Monster<\/em>, but [Charlize Theron<\/strong>] was amazing.<\/p>\n

You bought your dream house three years ago. What\u2019s the best part of it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I grew up with a very domineering father and I saw my mother as subservient. I like the idea that I have my own house \u2014 like, I like it really hot inside. Friends and boyfriends are like, \u201cThis is way too hot,\u201d but I like to set my own thermostat, you know what I mean?<\/p>\n

How did that experience with your parents shape you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

When you grow up in an abusive environment, you think, \u201cOh, this is normal.\u201d As a kid, I thought I must\u2019ve done something wrong. As I got older, I [realized my father] handled those situations very badly.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your relationship like now with your family?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not interested in having a relationship [with my dad] unless he can apologize and take accountability. My other family members are slightly controlled by him, so I don\u2019t know. I have people around me who are so much more loving, and I want to go where the love is.<\/p>\n

Are you close with any fellow celebs?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m really good friends with Molly Shannon<\/strong>. [We\u2019re going on a] yoga retreat together. I\u2019d like to have more celebrity friends. [Laughs<\/em>.]<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve been open about your early 2000s romance<\/a> with Heath Ledger. How do you remember him?<\/strong><\/div>\n
He was a very special person<\/a>, and it was really devastating when he died. He obviously had his demons, but I\u2019m grateful I got to know him. He was one of the big loves of my life. In fact, it was not good \u2014 I was slightly obsessed with him. But we live and learn.<\/div>\n
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\"Heather<\/div>
Brandon Harman<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

I never found that perfect partner to have kids with. There\u2019s a great quote that says, \u201cIf you don\u2019t have kids, life brings you people to nurture.\u201d You put the love towards your friendships, your work\u2026 I like my freedom, and I\u2019ve gotten to watch my friends\u2019 kids grow up and have good relationships with them. There are moments where I wonder if it would\u2019ve been fun \u2014 but it\u2019s also fun not having kids.<\/p>\n

Are you open to marriage?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not against it. I\u2019ve seen some horrible marriages, like what my parents have? No, thank you. My friends who are the happiest were together for 10 years before they got married. So if I ever got married, I\u2019d want to be with someone for a pretty long time first. I don\u2019t feel like I need a ring.<\/p>\n

Is your new boyfriend aligned on that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I feel like I\u2019m unconventional. Most people are like, I need to get married. I need to have kids. I\u2019m just not totally feeling that, and he\u2019s kind of similar. He was married, and he\u2019s not opposed to marriage, but he feels like an unconventional person as well. It\u2019s nice.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m starting my own production company making female-driven stories. I\u2019m playing with the idea of doing a cooking show about women and sex and cooking and the conversations we have around tables\u2026 I [also] want to write a revenge story about a woman who goes to a Jeffrey Epstein island and kills all the bad guys.<\/p>\n

What message do you hope to get across to women?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I hope I can reflect that they should feel good about themselves, no matter their age. And that the most important thing is enjoying your life. Whether or not I get a job I want, if I can enjoy my life and radiate joy, that\u2019s my main goal.<\/p>\n

For more on Heather Graham, watch the exclusive video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly<\/em> <\/a>\u2014 on newsstands now.<\/div><\/div>\n

\u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.usmagazine.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Watching Heather Graham pose in a pair of baby-blue roller skates on a gorgeous L.A. day in late February, it\u2019s almost impossible to believe it\u2019s been nearly three decades since she starred as Rollergirl in Paul Thomas Anderson\u2019s cult classic Boogie Nights. While the actress hasn\u2019t changed much on the outside (she still has that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2345520,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25177],"tags":[24003,25404,30379],"class_list":["post-2345519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrities","tag-celebrity-news","tag-exclusive","tag-exclusive-interview"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Heather-Graham-on-Aging-in-Hollywood-and-Finding-Love.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2345519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2345519"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2345519\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2345521,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2345519\/revisions\/2345521"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2345520"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2345519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2345519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2345519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}