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Heather Graham Is Nostalgic For New York Days Of Old

The actress appears in the NYC-based movie "My Dead Boyfriend."
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By 

Senior Culture Reporter, HuffPost

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Victor Boyko via Getty Images

Heather Graham currently stars in “My Dead Boyfriend,” a subversion of the classic romantic comedy. Much like the movies that dominated the genre it plays into, Graham’s latest flick takes place in 1990s New York City.

The actress has lived in New York since 2001 and greatly appreciated being able to simply walk to set from her home to shoot the movie. “I’m from suburbia so to come to New York just seemed like a dream,” Graham told The Huffington Post in a conversation about this latest role. “I was just so excited.”

In “My Dead Boyfriend,” Graham plays a New Yorker whose supposedly deadbeat boyfriend (John Corbett) unexpectedly dies. Through seeking out those who were close to him, she realizes her boyfriend lived a much fuller life than she thought, inspiring her to rethink her own choices. Over the course of the movie, Graham’s character runs into all sorts of classic New Yorkers, from musicians to dog walkers.

“I think New York is so interesting, you can really reinvent yourself,” said Graham. “There’s so many different types of people that you could probably get into any subculture you wanted.”

But despite now being a pro city dweller, Graham recalled a time she visited the Big Apple a few decades ago when the broadness of the city wasn’t a positive.

“I was pretty scared,” said Graham. “I remember the first time I ever came to New York I was 18 and I was going to stay with these friends in an apartment and one of the friends had been mugged.” Graham was terrified and wasn’t sure what she had gotten herself into, fearing something similar would happen to her in the neighborhood.

“It’s fun thinking about when it used to be so dangerous,” explained Graham. “I think now New York has become a lot safer and a lot more yuppie.”

“My Dead Boyfriend” is in theaters now. 

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Before You Go

Best Movies of 2016 So Far
"The Meddler"(01 of10)
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Effortlessly charming, "The Meddler" gives us Susan Sarandon's best role in years. She plays a doting widow who moves to Los Angeles to be near her TV-writer daughter (Rose Byrne), who would rather she not show up unannounced at her front door with a bag of bagels and endless chatter. Instead, said meddler slowly discovers how to live life on her own, making Lorene Scafaria's semi-autobiographical dramedy a love letter to rediscovering yourself. [Trailer] (credit:Sony Pictures Classics)
"Swiss Army Man"(02 of10)
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Nothing that's appeared on the big screen in 2016 is more original or pure in its vision than "Swiss Army Man," the movie about a farting corpse that steers a suicidal loner home. Through a blend of magical realism and flatulent-adjacent philosophizing, The Daniels' showcase of kookiness carries a sense of wonder so rich that watching it is like discovering the world's allure the way a child would. And to see Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe in the surrealist buddy comedy ever made -- it's "Cast Away" meets "Weekend at Bernie's" meets "The Trouble with Harry" -- is to watch two actors embracing their inner weirdos and having a fantastic time doing it, which is the whole point of the film in the first place. [Trailer] (credit:A24)
"Green Room"(03 of10)
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"Green Room" is mostly a bottle movie, taking place largely inside a seedy Oregon club where the members of a punk band become potential casualties after witnessing a murder backstage. It turns out they've stumbled upon a neo-Nazi cartel that would gladly massacre the whole lot. "Green Room" becomes an escape thriller, with the young rock stars seizing whatever weapons they can find as the twists unfurl. Fire up this grisly Jeremy Saulnier-directed film in homage to the late Anton Yelchin, who -- alongside Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat and Patrick Stewart -- is a wonder. [Trailer] (credit:A24)
"Weiner"(04 of10)
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Part of the shock in seeing "Weiner" is gaping at the mere fact that it exists. Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg sought to capture disgraced congressman Anthony Weiner's 2013 New York mayoral bid -- and then another sexting scandal broke, and they chronicled his swift decline in real time. Several quandaries lie at the heart of "Weiner": the hubris of a self-aggrandizing politician, the agony of a notorious downfall, the culpability of a salacious media culture and the public's insatiable appetite for watching people fail. The documentary is the most revealing piece of political theater since "The War Room." [Trailer] (credit:Sundance Selects)
"Zootopia"(05 of10)
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"Zootopia" charmed its way to $1 billion at the global box office, coasting on a blend of humorous animal antics and subversive social commentary. As much as any intellectual adult drama, the Disney hit can prompt a conversation about race, prejudice and xenophobia -- or you can just bask in the delightful tale of Judy Hopps, who dreams of becoming Zootopia's first rabbit police officer. Ginnifer Goodwin gives a winning performance voicing Judy, but it's the interspecies humor -- highlight: sloths -- that make this gem more profound than it has any right to be. [Trailer] (credit:Disney)
"The Jungle Book"(06 of10)
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The impressive live-action/CGI hybridity of "The Jungle Book" unfolds like a daydream, tracking the adventures of young Mowgli and his pals' bare necessities through majestic landscapes. This is a serene take on the classic Rudyard Kipling story, especially for a blockbuster that aims to please restless kiddos and their franchise-hungry parents. Where director Jon Favreau could have gone for bloated action, he opts for quiet enterprise. The results are vivid. [Trailer] (credit:Disney)
"Krisha"(07 of10)
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The title character in "Krisha" arrives at her family's Thanksgiving festivities sober and seeking redemption, but first-time writer and director Trey Edward Shults never lets us believe she'll find it. Her story is richer for it. Presented with haunting claustrophobia and unrelenting sympathy, this micro-budget psychodrama starring Shults' aunt, Krisha Fairchield, went largely unnoticed when it opened in March. Fix that, people. [Trailer] (credit:A24)
"The Lobster"(08 of10)
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After winning favor at what seems like every major international film festival, this dystopian dark comedy capped off its success at the box office last month. Imagining a world where single people are transformed into animals if they don't find partners, "The Lobster" is an entrée you need sharp teeth to bite into. But you'll be glad you did, thanks to Yorgos Lanthimos' inspired vision and the droll performances of Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, John C. Reilly and Ben Whishaw. [Trailer] (credit:A24)
"Love & Friendship"(09 of10)
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This tart adaptation strips all of the romantic fizzle from Jane Austen's work. In Whit Stillman's hands, "Love & Friendship" -- based on a lesser-known epistolary novel -- is a comedy of anti-manners in which the duplicitous Lady Susan (Kate Beckinsale) runs circles around the suitors she courts solely to secure her wealth. It's biting and savory, and each viewing uncovers another layer of jokes. [Trailer] (credit:Roadside Attractions)
"The Witch"(10 of10)
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Terrors real and imagined haunt the Puritan family at the center of this chilly fever dream. "The Witch" would be a masterpiece for the most accomplished director, so consider that it's the austere brainchild of first-time filmmaker Robert Eggers. In 93 minutes, the movie explores supernatural paranoia, religious oppression, feminine subjugation and personal liberation -- all against the spine-tingling outskirts of a town so remote that its very emptiness becomes one of the story's villains. You won't hear a score more haunting or find a fable more ominous than that of "The Witch." [Trailer] (credit:A24)
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