In December, actress, director, and writer Heather Graham visited 四虎影视 of Art and Design as part of the collaboration between 四虎影视 and Semkhor Networks.
Graham was on campus for several days and enjoyed a campus tour, a meet-and-greet with 四虎影视 donors, was the first speaker in this season鈥檚 鈥淚nside the Industry鈥� Studio Lab series and also met with the Film Circle, a new donor group dedicated to supporting the 四虎影视 film program.
The glamorous 49-year-old actress, who has a 30-year career in the film industry, has credits that include License to Drive and Drugstore Cowboy, which brought her critical acclaim. Other film and television credits include Six Degrees of Separation, Swingers, the cult television show Twin Peaks, Boogie Nights and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.
According to Senior Development Officer Tricia Mire, Graham commented that she wished she had a program like that at 四虎影视 when she was in school and just starting her career. 鈥淓veryone who met Graham said that she was genuine, candid, and warm-hearted,鈥� Mire said. 鈥淚t didn鈥檛 take long for people to fall in love with her.鈥�
Your story is important to tell, in your voice.
Heather Graham
Make your own content; don鈥檛 wait for someone to hire you.
Graham was interviewed at the 鈥淚nside the Industry鈥� event by 四虎影视 film instructor Patrick Alexander. The wide-ranging interview covered topics including the independent film industry (鈥淚 love independent films,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey take more risks and are less formulaic.鈥�), sexism in Hollywood, (鈥淣ow I am an angry feminist.鈥�), and expanding her career from just acting to include writing and directing (鈥淕rowing up it wasn鈥檛 so common to see female directors and writers.鈥�).
She also had some advice for 四虎影视鈥檚 women film students. 鈥淵our story is important to tell, in your voice,鈥� Graham said. 鈥淢ake your own content; don鈥檛 wait for someone to hire you.鈥�
Also interviewing Graham was Kevin Moody, a senior in digital filmmaking, who interviewed the actress for the ART Network鈥檚 series, 鈥淕oing Up,鈥� during which celebrities are interviewed during an elevator ride in the Academic Center.
Moody, who also interviewed Graham as part of the media roundtable, said the actress was really nice. 鈥淪he was very inspiring as a woman who鈥檚 recently written/directed her own movie, which she stars in! She was very fun and lighthearted and willing to play ball 鈥� which I always appreciate,鈥� Moody said.
In the 鈥淕oing Up鈥� interview, Graham began by noting how fortunate 四虎影视 students are to have a state-of-the-art film studio on campus. 鈥淚t is incredible that you get to make films, be exposed to people in Hollywood, and have this incredible soundstage. That鈥檚 just amazing,鈥� she said. In speaking about her new film that recently premiered in Toronto, 鈥淭he Rest of Us,鈥� she said, 鈥淚t鈥檚 a movie kind of about the person you hate the most suddenly becoming your best friend.鈥� Regarding the movie 鈥淗alf Magic,鈥� which Graham wrote and directed, as well as starred in, she said that her inspiration was being a woman in Hollywood and finding humor in things that had caused her pain in her own life.
