Laura Harring

Infobox Actor
name = Laura Harring


imagesize =80px
caption =
birthname = Laura Elena Martínez Harring
birthdate = birth date and age|1964|3|3
birthplace = Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico
deathdate =
deathplace =
othername =
website =
academyawards =
awards = Won: Alma award (2002) Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for "Mulholland Drive
spouse = Carl-Eduard von Bismarck – (1987-1989)

Laura Elena Harring (born March 3, 1964) is a Mexican American actress and former Miss USA (1985). She starred as Rita/Camilla Rhodes in David Lynch's 2001 film "Mulholland Drive".

Biography

Early life

Harring was born Laura Elena Herring in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico. Her mother, María Martínez, is a Mexican psychotherapist, real estate investor, and secretary, and her father, Raymond Herring, was a developer and organic farmer of German descent. [ [http://www.filmreference.com/film/65/Laura-Harring.html Laura Harring Biography (1964-) ] ] [ [http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1807883278/bio Laura Elena Harring Biography - Yahoo! Movies ] ] The two divorced in 1971. Harring lived the first ten years of her life in Mexico, before her family relocated to San Antonio, Texas. Caught by stray fire from a driveby shooting at age 12, Harring suffered a bullet wound to the head. [ [http://www.esquire.com/women/ESQ0202-FEB_OPENER Women We Love: Laura Elena Harring - Esquire ] ] At age 16, she convinced her family to let her study in Switzerland at one of the top schools, Aiglon College. She eventually returned to America, settling down in El Paso, Texas and entered the world of beauty pageants. She won the title of Miss El Paso USA, and soon after, Miss Texas USA. In 1985 she became the first Hispanic to win the Miss USA crown. She is the first of Texas Aces. She went on to make the top 10 at the Miss Universe 1985 pageant.

Harring spent the next year traveling through Asia, exploring Europe and working as a social worker in India. It was in Europe that she was introduced to the world of nobility and, in 1987, she married Count Carl-Eduard von Bismarck-Schönhausen. While she retains the title of Countess von Bismarck-Schönhausen, the couple divorced in 1989 but still remain friends. Harring studied theatre at the London Academy of Performing Arts and is skilled in the French style of Commedia dell'arte, as well as in most of the Latin dances, including the Argentine Tango.

Career

Harring had two recurring TV roles early in her career. 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 best known for her performance in David Lynch's cult film "Mulholland Drive" (2001), opposite Naomi Watts and Justin Theroux. Controversy arose when Lynch pixelized Harring's pubic area in a nocturnal nude scene on the DVD release of the film – one of very few instances of cinematic nudity by a countess. 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).

Filmography

* "" (TV) (1987)
* "" (TV) (1988)
* "" (1989)
* "The Forbidden Dance" (1990)
* "General Hospital" (series) (1991)
* "Dead Women in Lingerie" (1991)
* "Rio Diablo" (TV) (1993)
* "Exit to Eden" (1994)
* "Empire" (un-aired TV series) (1995)
* "Sunset Beach" (series) (1997)
* "" (1997)
* "Hoover Park" (1997)
* "California" ( TV series) (1997)
* "Frasier" (TV, 1 episode) (1998)
* "Final Payback" (1999)
* "A Family in Crisis: The Elian Gonzales Story" (TV Movie) (2000)
* "Little Nicky" (2000)
* "Black Scorpion" (series) (2001)
* "Mulholland Drive" (2001)
* "John Q" (2002)
* "Derailed" (2002)
* "Rabbits" (2002)
* "Willard" (2003)
* "Mi Casa, Su Casa" (2003)
* "The Poet" (2003)
* "The Punisher" (2004)
* "Return to Babylon" (2004)
* "" (2005)
* "The King" (2005)
* "Inland Empire" (2006)
* "Nancy Drew" (2007)
* "Love in the Time of Cholera" (2007)
* "The Caller" (2008)

References

External links

*imdb name|0005009|Laura Harring
*ymovies name|1807883278

Miss Universe Organization titleholders
Year=1985
Miss Universe=Deborah Carthy-Deu
Miss USA=Laura Martinez-Herring
Miss Teen USA=Kelly Hu

Persondata
NAME= Harring, Laura
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Harring, Laura Elena Martínez
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Actor
DATE OF BIRTH= 1964-3-3
PLACE OF BIRTH= Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=