Laura Harring

Laura Harring
Harring at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival
Born	Laura Elena Martínez Herring (1964-03-03) March 3, 1964 Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico
Occupation	Actress, model
Years active	1987–present
Spouse(s)	Carl-Eduard von Bismarck (m. 1987–89)
Website	www.lauraharring.net

Laura Harring (born Laura Elena Martínez Herring; March 3, 1964) is a Mexican-American actress. In 1985, Harring became the first Latina woman crowned Miss USA. She later began her acting career in television and film. She is best known for her role as Rita in the 2001 cult neo-noir film Mulholland Drive. She is also known for her roles in other films, including The Forbidden Dance (1990), John Q (2002), Willard (2003), The Punisher (2004), The King (2005), and Love in the Time of Cholera (2007).

Early life

Harring was born in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico. Her mother, María Elena Martínez-Cairo, is a spiritual teacher, real estate investor, and secretary. Her father, Raymond Herring, was a developer and organic farmer of Austrian-German descent. 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 head wound from a .45 bullet. At age 16, she convinced her family to let her study in Switzerland at Aiglon College. She eventually returned to the United States, 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, ultimately going on to win the title of Miss USA 1985. Harring spent the next year traveling through Asia, exploring Europe and working as a social worker in India. In 1987, she married Count Carl-Eduard von Bismarck-Schönhausen, great-great-grandson of Otto von Bismarck. While she retains the title of Countess von Bismarck-Schönhausen, the couple divorced in 1989.

Career

Harring studied theatre at the London Academy of Performing Arts, having trained in the Italian Commedia dell'arte, as well as Latin dances, including the Argentine tango. She began her acting career playing Jerri in the film Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out! and, in television, portraying Raul Julia's character's wife in the NBC television movie The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory (1987). In 1990, Harring was lead actress in the Columbia Pictures film The Forbidden Dance, and in same year began recurring role on the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital, as Carla Greco. The next few years she had supporting roles in films like Exit to Eden (1994), and Black Scorpion II: Aftershock (1997). In 1997, she played the role of Paula Stevens in the NBC soap opera Sunset Beach. She starred in the soap from January 6, 1997 to December 17, 1997, and after leaving it, guest-starred on Frasier, and appeared in comedy film Little Nicky.

Harring is most well known for her performance in David Lynch's cult film Mulholland Drive (2001), opposite Naomi Watts and Justin Theroux. Harring went on to work twice more with Lynch—as an anthropomorphic rabbit in Rabbits (2002) and in a cameo appearance in Inland Empire (2006).

In 2002, she appeared in John Q, and was female lead opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme in Derailed. In 2003, she starred in Mi Casa, Su Casa together with Barbara Eden of I Dream of Jeannie fame. In 2004, she was John Travolta's spoiled wife in the movie adaptation of Marvel Comics's The Punisher. In 2005, Harring starred in the independent film The King, and later had roles in Nancy Drew, Love in the Time of Cholera, The Caller, and Drool.

In 2006, Harring joined the cast of FX's critically acclaimed crime drama, The Shield, as defense attorney Rebecca Doyle. From 2009 to 2010, she also had a recurring role as Evelyn Bass/Elizabeth Fisher in The CW series Gossip Girl. She's also guest-starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2003, Law & Order: Criminal Intent in 2010, and NCIS: Los Angeles in 2012.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1989	Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out!	Jerri
1990	The Forbidden Dance	Nisa
1991	Dead Women in Lingerie	Marcia
1994	Exit to Eden	M.C. Kindra
1997	Black Scorpion II: Aftershock	Babette
1997	Hoover Park	Unknown
2000	Little Nicky	Mrs. Dunleavy
2001	Final Payback	Gina Carrillo
2001	Feather Pimento	Woman in Red	Short film
2001	Mulholland Drive	Rita
2002	John Q	Gina Palumbo
2002	Derailed	Galina Konstantin
2002	Rabbits	Jane
2003	Willard	Cathryn
2003	Mi Casa, Su Casa	Catalina
2003	The Poet	Paula
2004	The Punisher	Livia Saint
2005	All Souls Day	Martia
2005	The King	Twyla
2006	Walkout	Francis Crisostomo
2006	Inland Empire	Jane Rabbit
2007	Ghost Son	Stacey
2007	Nancy Drew	Dehlia Draycott
2007	Love in the Time of Cholera	Sara Noriega
2008	One Missed Call	Beth's Mom	Cameo
2008	The Caller	Eileen
2009	Drool	Anora Fleece
2010	Kluge
2011	Elwood	Julie Jacobs	Short film
2013	Return to Babylon	Alla Nazimova
2014	Ice Scream	Wendy
2014	Taco Shop
2014	Manson Girls	Alice Rainer
2014	Sex Ed	Lupe

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1987	The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory	Santa Anna's bride	Television movie
1988	Desperado: Avalanche at Devil's Ridge	Unknown	Television movie
1988	Beauty and the Beast	Carmen	Episode: "The Alchemist"
1989	Alien Nation	Female Newcomer	Episode: "Three to Tango"
1990–91	General Hospital	Carla Greco	Recurring role
1992	Baywatch	Princess Catherine Randenberg	Episode: "Princess of Tides"
1993	Blossom	Nurse	Episode: "The Fifty-Minute Hour"
1993	Rio Diablo	Maria Benjamin	Television movie
1995	Empire	Gabriella Cochrane	Unsuccessful television pilot
1995–96	Flipper	Garcia	3 episodes
1996	Baywatch Nights	Charlotte 'Charlie' McBride	Episode: "Thin Blood"
1996, 1999	Silk Stalkings	Paula Houston / Yvette	Episodes: "Family Values", "Cook's Tour"
1997	Sunset Beach	Paula Stevens	Series regular, 141 episodes
1997	California	Christina Guevara	Unsuccessful television pilot (spin-off from Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman)
1998	Frasier	Rebecca Wendell	Episode: "Dial M for Martin"
2000	Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction	Mysterious Woman	Episode: "Episode 30" Segment: Deadbeat Daddy
2000	Black Scorpion	Ariana	Episode: "Out of Thin Air"
2000	A Family in Crisis: The Elian Gonzales Story	Marisleysis Gonzalez	Television movie
2003	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Joan Quentin	Episode: "Perfect"
2006	The Shield	Rebecca Doyle	8 episodes
2007	My Neighbor's Keeper	Kate Powell	Television movie
2009	Gossip Girl	Evelyn Bass/Elizabeth	4 episodes
2010	Law & Order: Criminal Intent	Marta Caldera	Episode: "True Legacy"
2012	NCIS: Los Angeles	Julia Feldman	Episode: "Blye, K., Part 2"
2014–15	Chasing Life	Olivia Ortiz	Episodes: "Guess Who's Coming to Donate?", "First Person"

External links

• Official website
• Laura Harring at the Internet Movie Database

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Laura Shaw	Miss Texas USA 1985	Succeeded by Christy Fichtner
Preceded by Mai Shanley	Miss USA 1985	Succeeded by Christy Fichtner
Media offices
Preceded by Angie Dickinson	Miss USA color commentator (with Leeza Gibbons) 1990	Succeeded by Barbara Eden and Deborah Shelton
Preceded by Leeza Gibbons and Courtney Gibbs	Miss USA color commentator (with Arthel Neville) 1994	Succeeded by Daisy Fuentes