Laura Harring facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Laura Harring
Harring in 2016
Born	Laura Elena Herring Martínez (1964-03-03) March 3, 1964 (age 61) Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1987–present
Title	Miss Texas USA 1985 Miss USA 1985
Spouse(s)	Carl-Eduard von Bismarck ​ ​ (m. 1987; div. 1989)​
Beauty pageant titleholder
Major competition(s)	Miss Texas USA 1985 (Winner) Miss USA 1985 (Winner) Miss Universe 1985 (Top 10)

Laura Elena Harring (born March 3, 1964) is an American actress and former beauty queen. She won the title of Miss USA 1985. After her pageant win, she started a career in television and movies.

Laura Harring is most famous for her main role as Rita in the 2001 movie Mulholland Drive. She has also appeared in many other films like The Forbidden Dance (1990), John Q (2002), and The Punisher (2004). On TV, she played characters in shows such as General Hospital (1990–1991) and The Shield (2006).

Laura Harring's Early Life and Education

Laura Elena Herring Martínez was born in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, on March 3, 1964. Her mother, María Elena Martínez-Cairo, was a spiritual teacher and real estate investor. Her father, Raymond Herring, was a developer and farmer. Her parents divorced when she was seven years old.

Laura spent her first ten years in Guasave, Mexico. Then, her family moved to San Antonio, Texas. When she was 12, she was accidentally hit by a stray bullet. At 16, she went to study in Switzerland at Aiglon College. She later studied theater at the London Academy of Performing Arts. She learned Italian commedia dell'arte and Latin dances, including the Argentine tango. After her studies, she returned to the United States and began competing in beauty pageants.

Laura Harring's Career Journey

Winning Beauty Pageants

Laura Harring first won Miss El Paso USA. Then, she became Miss Texas USA. In 1985, she won Miss USA 1985, making history as the first Hispanic woman to win this title. After winning, she spent a year traveling through Asia and Europe. She also worked as a social worker in India.

Becoming an Actress

Harring at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival

Laura Harring started her acting career in 1987. Her first role was in the TV movie The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory. Producers saw her on the Miss USA broadcast and offered her the part. In 1989, she appeared in her first movie, Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out!.

In 1990, she played the main character, Nisa, a Brazilian princess, in the movie The Forbidden Dance. That same year, she joined the TV show General Hospital as Carla Greco. Over the next few years, she had supporting roles in movies like Exit to Eden (1994). In 1997, she played Paula Stevens in the TV show Sunset Beach. She also appeared in the comedy film Little Nicky.

Laura Harring is widely recognized for her role in David Lynch's 2001 movie Mulholland Drive. She played two characters, Rita and Camilla. Critics praised her performance, with one saying she was "slinky and voluptuous." She won an ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film in 2002 for this role. She worked with David Lynch again in Rabbits (2002) and Inland Empire (2006).

In 2002, she appeared in John Q and was the female lead in Derailed. In 2004, she played Livia Saint in the movie The Punisher. She also starred in the independent film The King in 2005. Later, she had roles in movies like Nancy Drew and Love in the Time of Cholera. In Drool, she played a wife who leaves her husband.

In 2006, Harring joined the cast of the TV show The Shield. She played Rebecca Doyle, a defense attorney, in eight episodes. From 2009 to 2010, she appeared in Gossip Girl as Evelyn Bass/Elizabeth Fisher. She also made guest appearances in shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2003) and NCIS: Los Angeles (2012, 2016). More recently, she was in the movie The Thinning (2016) and the romantic comedy Father of the Bride (2022).

Laura Harring in 2011

Laura Harring's Personal Life

In 1987, Laura Harring married Count Carl-Eduard von Bismarck-Schönhausen. He is the great-great-grandson of Otto von Bismarck, a famous German statesman. They divorced two years later, in 1989.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows

See also

In Spanish: Laura Harring para niños

Images for kids

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  Laura Harring in 2016

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  Laura Harring in 2011