Heather Graham's parental pain

Heather Graham's strictly religious parents severed contact with her after she played a porn star in ‘Boogie Nights'.

The Hollywood beauty, who had a strict Catholic upbringing, admits her family are unhappy with her sex symbol status.

Heather, 37, told the Weekend magazine: "€‘Boogie Nights' was quite explicit and my parents were horrified. They didn't really want to hear my point of view, and thought that, because I took the part, then I was like that in real life.

"It would be nice if I did have a good relationship with my family, and yes, part of me longs to have a mum and dad who love and accept me for who I am. But if they never do, it's OK.

"I've learnt to take care of myself."

The ‘Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me' star revealed men always expect her to be wild in bed like her movie characters - but her strict upbringing has made her quite reserved.

She said: "My parents were quite strict and religious, so it's taken me a long time to become comfortable with my sexuality. They even wanted me to be a nun at one stage.

"Not surprisingly, I grew up feeling sex must be a bad thing and I used to feel guilty as a young woman for having any kind of sexual thoughts. I was convinced I would go to Hell.

"Men I meet tend to think of me as this super-sexy, wild woman, when in fact it has taken me a long time to be able to express that side of myself.

"One ex-boyfriend was so surprised to find out that I wasn't anything like the wild, crazy person he had expected. I basically think that I'm a fairly nice, normal person with just a few eccentricities."
July 23 2007 -
by BANG Showbiz