Laura Harring
USABiography of Laura Harring
Laura Harring was born and raised in Mexico. She was the first of two children in her family. After her parents divorced, Harring moved to Texas, USA with her mother following her second marriage. At the age of 12, she suffered a gunshot wound to the head when someone fired at a moving car she was in.
After completing school in Texas and college in Switzerland, Harring found herself in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She then traveled the world, working as a cashier in a restaurant in the Philippines, where she became a hostage of her boss who had fallen in love with her and confiscated her passport. The issue was resolved only after the intervention of Harring's mother.
Harring began her career in show business by winning the title of Miss USA in 1985, becoming the first Latina to do so. A year later, she started filming the German series "Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory." She then divorced her husband, who opposed her pursuing an acting career, and appeared in "The Forbidden Dance" (1990) and the ABC series "General Hospital."
However, it was the role in "Mulholland Drive," released as a film in 2001, that marked a turning point in Harring's career. From then on, she began receiving more and more roles that allowed her to fully display her talent, extraordinary beauty, and refined sensuality.
Harring's journey to success was not without its challenges. After winning the Miss Texas title, she worked as a clothing salesperson in a Texas boutique and participated in beauty pageants. Her success in these pageants led her to become Miss USA in 1985. Following her reign, Harring received an offer from a film producer who recognized her beauty and charisma, leading to her role in the horror film "Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out!" (1989).
During this period, Harring also appeared in the series "Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory," "Forbidden Dance," "Dead Women in Lingerie" (1990), "Raising Cain" (1992), and "Sunset Beach," where she played police officer Paula Stevens. However, she eventually became dissatisfied with the development of her character in the successful series and left.
In 1999, Harring decided that her time had come. She accepted a role in David Lynch's series "Mulholland Drive" as Rita, a mysterious woman suffering from amnesia who befriends the young and talented actress protagonist. Harring's portrayal of Rita, with her enigmatic, troubled, sensual, and dreamy persona, captivated audiences, and she proved to be a worthy co-star to Naomi Watts. The film was presented at the Cannes Film Festival in 2001, and Harring continued to receive numerous offers, including a role in Adam Sandler's comedy "Little Nicky" (2000), the Fox channel's docudrama "The Elian Gonzalez Story," and the action drama "John Q," which achieved significant success in 2002.
In the following years, Harring appeared in the horror film "Willard" (2003) and the Marvel Comics adaptation "The Punisher" (2004), where she played the wife of the film's main antagonist, portrayed by John Travolta.
After her role in "King" (2005), Harring was invited to join the police drama series "The Shield" as an attorney representing the wrongly accused main character played by Kenneth Johnson. Meanwhile, she returned to the big screen in the film "Nancy Drew" (2007), portraying a Hollywood actress around whom the murder investigation revolves. Some of Harring's recent projects include the films "Go Straight to Hell" (2010), "Bitter Grapes" (2009), "Kluge" (2009), "Drool" (2009), and "Again Babylon" (2008).
