Actress Heather Graham's parents warned her 'evil' Hollywood would one day 'claim her soul'

Austin Powers star Heather Graham reflected on growing up without her parents .

The actress has been featured in many films like 1997's Boogie Nights, 1998's Lost in Space and 1999's Bowfinger. Heather is best known for her role as Felicity Shagwell on Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. The girl from Milwaukee, Wisconsin was introduced to acting during a school production of The Wizard of Oz.

Heather attended the University of California, Los Angeles where she majored in English to for two years but then rebelled against her parents wishes to pursue acting full time. They warned the actress about Hollywood being "evil."

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In an interview with the Wall Street Journal published on August 27, Heather said: "He [her father] regularly told me that the entertainment industry was evil and that Hollywood would claim my soul." She added that 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."

She moved out once she finished filming License to Drive, which premiered in 1988. She felt like living at home "had become more difficult" after the film released. She was 18 years old.

Heather said: "Living at home had become more difficult. 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.'" She continued: " 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."

Things started to fall into place for Heather in Hollywood when she dropped out of UCLA. She landed films like Swingers and Austin Powers and her was able to become fully independent from her parents. She stopped talking to them at 25 years old and is "estranged from them now."

She added: "My friends are proud of me, and I’m proud of myself. I have really good friends."

Heather feels at peace when she reflects on her life and the things she has done for herself. She bought a home in Los Angeles that "has views of the Pacific" and has a loft in New York.

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