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Laura Harring - Biography |
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Laura Harring is a young and dynamic
artist whose natural talent prompted New York Magazine to laud her debut
as having a "stunning fresh appeal." She has an evocative inner beauty
that can be strangely disarming. Witty, candid and keenly astute in
business, she is an undeniably rare commodity in Hollywood. Combined with
her stunning features that won her the coveted Miss USA title, Laura has
come a long way to break a logjam of stereotypes encountered over the
years. Laura can currently be seen in NBC's Sunset Beach, the new one-hour
daytime drama from Aaron Spelling. Sunset Beach is Spelling's first foray
into the daytime arena. Laura plays "Paula Stevens," a Sunset Beach police
officer that is smart and feisty and lives to uncover the truth in work
and life.
One will quickly recognize why Time Magazine once named her to its list of
top U.S. immigrants, and why she was featured in an exhibition as one of
the "100 Most Interesting Faces in the World." Her role on "Sunset Beach"
is Laura's second venture in to the world of daytime. Many people remember
Laura from her regular stint as "Carla Greco" on ABC daytime's "General
Hospital." Laura made her major motion picture debut in the feature film
directed by Garry Marshall, "Exit to Eden." She has also appeared in many
television roles including, the role of "Garcia" in the syndicated series
"Flipper," the telefilm "Desperado II," and "Rio Diablo." Other acting
credits include "Baywatch," "Alien Nations," "Silk Stalkings" and the
feature film "The Forbidden Dance...Lambada."
Born Laura Elena Martinez Herring of German and Austrian ancestry in Los
Mochis, a small city in northern Mexico, she moved to the United States
with her mother and two sisters at age 11. While in Texas, multi-lingual
Laura spent her high school years at Aiglon College in Switzerland. While
studying abroad, she was chosen to participate in a summer project that
took her to India as a social worker, spending a month digging ditches and
planting vegetable gardens. The following year she spent backpacking
around the world. Returning to the United States, Laura entered the Miss
El Paso competition. Laura won, went on to become Miss Texas, and
subsequently garnered the distinction of being the first Hispanic ever to
walk away with the title of "Miss USA."
The following year her good looks and dynamic personality brought her the
attention of Hollywood where she was cast in the telefilm "The Alamo:
Thirteen Days to Glory" as the young wife of the President of Mexico
played by Raul Julia. However, because another actress carried Laura's
name, she made a slight alteration in the spelling of her surname and has
used Harring as her professional name. Laura was riding the whirlwind of
popularity when she met Count Carl von Bismarck, whom she later married.
The newly titled Countess von Bismarck-Schönhausen Laura Harring continued with her
burgeoning acting career, but later an amicable separation ensued and
Laura focused all her energies toward developing into the formidable
talent that she is. From features to television to hosting, Laura Harring
is proving to be potent and versatile talent.
Laura is now divorced, making her an ex-countess. But, her movie career
has just begun to flourish.
Harring had two recurring television roles. During 1990-1991, she played
Carla Greco on ABC's soap General Hospital, and during 1997, she played
Paula Stevens on NBC's soap Sunset Beach.
She is perhaps best known for her performance in David Lynch's cult film
Mulholland Drive (2001), opposite Naomi Watts and Justin Theroux. Harring
went on to work two more times with Lynch - as an anthropomorphic rabbit
in Rabbits (2002) and in a cameo appearance in Inland Empire (2006). In
2003, she starred in Mi Casa, Su Casa together with Barbara Eden of I
Dream of Jeannie fame.
In 2004, she starred as John Travolta's spoiled wife in the movie
adaptation of Marvel Comics's The Punisher. In 2006, she joined the cast
of the FX Networks crime drama, The Shield. She has most recently starred
in Mike Newell's adaptation of Gabriel García Marquez's Love in the Time
of Cholera (2007). Harring currently has two film projects in production,
Bitter Grapes and Kluge, both due out in 2009.
In 2009/2010, Harring will appear's as Evelyn Bass (in the episode The
Debarted, than again in March) on Gossip Girl. |
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Laura Harring - Personal Quotes |
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"Unless you have a real
passion for making movies, then don't bother. I had to carry energy
and light into every meeting, only to be told, 'We don't want you.'
I couldn't take it personally. You just have to wait, and live for
those moments when the casting director likes you. Those words
;You're hired; are the best. I would try to remember what I learned
in India - everything that happens is a mirror of how you are
feeling. If you don't feel good about yourself, people don't feel
good about you either. When you feel good, people see that and want
to help you."
"In private, I'm a hippie who follows Buddhism, does yoga, meditates
and loves to dance wildly. But when I'm on show, I become a
different person. Some actors do not understand that difference, and
resent it. I say, 'Let them give you the jewels, go around with your
bodyguard, let them dress you. If you are promoting a film, don't be
afraid of glamour.'"
"It is important to know the difference between the hard work of
acting and play-acting at events like this. The only difference
between me and some other actresses is that I don't mind playing the
game." |
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Laura Harring - Filmography |
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Go Straight to Hell (2010)
.... Marcella
Bitter Grapes (2009) .... Emilia
"Gossip Girl" .... Evelyn Bass (1 episode, 2009)
- The Debarted (2009) TV episode .... Evelyn Bass
Drool (2009) .... Anora
Return to Babylon (2008) .... Alla Nazimova
The Caller (2008) .... Eileen
One Missed Call (2008) (uncredited) .... Beth's Mom
... aka Don't Pick Up the Cell Phone! (Australia)
... aka Tödlicher Anruf (Germany)
Love in the Time of Cholera (2007) .... Sara Noriega
My Neighbor's Keeper (2007) (TV) .... Kate Powell
Nancy Drew (2007) (as Laura Elena Harring) .... Dehlia Draycott
Inland Empire (2006) .... Jane Rabbit
... aka Inland Empire: A Woman in Trouble (USA: long title)
"The Shield" .... Rebecca Doyle (8 episodes, 2006)
- Postpartum (2006) TV episode .... Rebecca Doyle
- Of Mice and Lem (2006) TV episode .... Rebecca Doyle
- Smoked (2006) TV episode .... Rebecca Doyle
- Man Inside (2006) TV episode .... Rebecca Doyle
- Rap Payback (2006) TV episode .... Rebecca Doyle
(3 more)
Walkout (2006) (TV) .... Francis Crisostomo
Ghost Son (2006) .... Stacey
The King (2005) .... Twyla
All Souls Day: Dia de los Muertos (2005) .... Martia
... aka All Souls Day (Australia)
... aka Dia de los muertos (USA: Spanish title: short title)
The Punisher (2004) .... Livia Saint
... aka The Punisher (Germany)
The Poet (2003) (as Laura Elena Harring) .... Paula
... aka Der Poet (Germany)
"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" .... Joan Quentin (1 episode,
2003)
... aka Law & Order: SVU (UK: promotional abbreviation) (USA:
promotional abbreviation)
... aka Special Victims Unit (New Zealand: English title) (UK:
informal short title)
- Perfect (2003) TV episode (as Laura Elana Harring) .... Joan
Quentin
Mi Casa, Su Casa (2003) .... Catalina
... aka Loco Love (USA: new title)
Willard (2003) (as Laura Elena Harring) .... Cathryn
Derailed (2002) (as Laura Elena Harring) .... Galina Konstantin
... aka Terror Train (Europe: English title)
John Q (2002) (as Laura Elena Harring) .... Gina Palumbo
... aka John Q. (USA: poster title)
Rabbits (2002) (as Laura Elena Harring) .... Jane
Feather Pimento (2001) (as Laura Elena Harring) .... Woman in Red
Mulholland Dr. (2001) (as Laura Elena Harring) .... Rita
... aka Mulholland Drive (France) (UK) (USA: closing credits title)
Final Payback (2001) .... Gina Carrillo
"Black Scorpion" .... Ariana (1 episode, 2001)
... aka Roger Corman Presents Black Scorpion (Canada: English title)
- Out of Thin Air (2001) TV episode (as Laura Harring) .... Ariana
Little Nicky (2000) .... Mrs. Dunleavy
A Family in Crisis: The Elian Gonzales Story (2000) (TV) (as Laura
Elena Harring) .... Marisleysis Gonzalez
"Silk Stalkings" .... Paula Houston / ... (2 episodes, 1996-1999)
- Cook's Tour (1999) TV episode (as Laura Harring) .... Yvette
- Family Values (1996) TV episode .... Paula Houston
"Frasier" .... Rebecca Wendell (1 episode, 1998)
- Dial M for Martin (1998) TV episode (as Laura Harring) ....
Rebecca Wendell
"California" (1997) TV series .... Christina Guevara (unknown
episodes, 1997)
"Sunset Beach" .... Paula Stevens (133 episodes, 1997)
- Episode #1.236 (1997) TV episode .... Paula Stevens
- Episode #1.235 (1997) TV episode .... Paula Stevens
- Episode #1.234 (1997) TV episode .... Paula Stevens
- Episode #1.233 (1997) TV episode .... Paula Stevens
- Episode #1.232 (1997) TV episode .... Paula Stevens
(128 more)
Hoover Park (1997)
"Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction" (1 episode)
... aka Beyond Belief (USA: short title)
- Dead Beat Daddy (????) TV episode
Black Scorpion II: Aftershock (1997) .... Babette the Mayor's Girl
... aka Black Scorpion: Ground Zero (USA: alternative title)
"Baywatch Nights" .... Charlotte 'Charlie' McBride (1 episode, 1996)
... aka Detectives on the Beach
- Thin Blood (1996) TV episode (as Laura Harring) .... Charlotte
'Charlie' McBride
"Flipper" .... Garcia (3 episodes, 1995-1996)
... aka The New Adventures of Flipper (USA: alternative title)
- Missile Crisis (1996) TV episode .... Garcia
- Kidnapped: Part 2 (1995) TV episode .... Garcia
- Kidnapped: Part 1 (1995) TV episode (as Laura Harring) .... Garcia
15th Annual Tejano Music Awards (1995) (V) .... Special Guest
Empire (1995) (TV) .... Gabriella Cochrane
Exit to Eden (1994) .... M.C. Kindra
"Blossom" .... Nurse (1 episode, 1993)
- The Fifty-Minute Hour (1993) TV episode (as Laura Harring) ....
Nurse
Rio Diablo (1993) (TV) .... Maria Benjamin
"Baywatch" .... Princess Catherine Randenberg (1 episode, 1992)
... aka Baywatch Hawaii (USA: new title)
- Princess of Tides (1992) TV episode (as Laura Herring) ....
Princess Catherine Randenberg
Dead Women in Lingerie (1991) (as Laura Herring) .... Marcia
"General Hospital" (1963) TV series .... Carla Greco (unknown
episodes, 1990-1991)
The Forbidden Dance (1990) (as Laura Herring) .... Nisa
... aka Lambada, the Forbidden Dance (Philippines: English title)
Silent Night, Deadly Night III: Better Watch Out! (1989) (V) (as
Laura Herring) .... Jerri
... aka Blind Terror (USA: alternative title)
... aka Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out! (USA: video
box title)
"Alien Nation" .... Female Newcomer (1 episode, 1989)
- Three to Tango (1989) TV episode (as Laura M. Herring) .... Female
Newcomer
Desperado: Avalanche at Devil's Ridge (1988) (TV)
"Beauty and the Beast" .... Carmen (1 episode, 1988)
- The Alchemist (1988) TV episode .... Carmen
The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory (1987) (TV) (as Laura Martinez
Harring) .... Santa Anna's bride |
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Laura Harring - Related Links |
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Wikipedia: Laura Harring
YouTube: Laura Harring
Laura Harring
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