Biography
Though she was born in Hawaii, actress Lauren Graham spent her childhood traveling with her single father. After earning her Bachelor's degree in English from Barnard College in New York City, she got her Master's in Acting from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She moved to California and landed a guest spot on
3rd Rock From the Sun in 1996. After playing recurring roles on Caroline in the City, Law & Order, and
NewsRadio, she made her film debut in the horror thriller
Nightwatch. Other film roles followed, including the mainstream sentimental drama
One True Thing (starring
Meryl Streep) the independent mockumentary
Dill Scallion (starring
Billy Burke). After starring in a few short-lived TV series, Graham's big breakthrough came in 2000 with the lead role on the WB family drama
Gilmore Girls. As Lorelai Gilmore, the 32-year-old single mother of a teenager (
Alexis Bledel), Graham earned several award nominations during the first two seasons. While the show itself earned critical acclaim, Graham gained much media exposure for her strong and independent yet conventionally attractive portrayal of a single mom. Even though her persona was that of a "sexy mom," she also (per the material given her by the program's creators) held fast to "PG Material, " and won the Best Actress prize from the Family Television Awards. Lest she be pigeonhold Graham traveled to the opposite extreme for a plum role in
Terry Zwigoff's holiday crime comedy
Bad Santa; she made many viewers do a double take as a lover of bad boy
Billy Bob Thornton who harbors a thoroughly naughty little fetish for Santa caps - a part that justly won her critical raves.
More feature film projects followed, including supporting roles in the romantic comedies
Lucky 13 (2004),
Seeing Other People (2004), and
The Pacifier (2005) (opposite unlikely action hero-turned family star
Vin Diesel). By the spring of 2007,
Gilmore (which drew repeated rumors of cancellation that persisted for at least a year) finally did wrap, and Graham focused all of her attention and energy on the big screen. Assignments included a supporting part in the
Diane Keaton/Mandy Moore mother-daughter comedy
Because I Said So (2007) and the wife of funnyman
Steve Carell in the Noah's Ark-themed religious comedy
Evan Almighty (2007). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide