Screen star Heather Graham has said the movie industry is still sexist – because it is not making enough films about women.
The Hangover and Boogie Nights actress, 47, has gone behind the camera to make her own film about female sexuality.
“If you look at the brutal numbers, they are not making as many movies about women as they are about men,” she said.
Her new film, Half Magic, which she wrote and directed, was inspired by the end of a relationship.
“I wanted to tell the story of sexuality and how to feel good about your sexuality when sometimes you get really confusing messages about that,” the actress told the Press Association.
“It’s about being a woman and dealing with sexuality and how you feel about your own sexuality, about feeling good about yourself in a world that makes it hard to do that.”
The Californication actress also stars in the film.
“I went through a break-up and I was sad and really upset,” said Heather.
“I started writing a script a few years ago and gave up on it. But I just started to write down some of my relationship problems and make them funny and laugh at them.”
While taking her career into her own hands, Heather said she was not tempted by plastic surgery.
“I think it’s worse if you look at someone and they look like they’ve had plastic surgery than if you just look at someone and think that person’s got old,” she said, adding: ”I don’t want to end up like one of those people where you just look at their face and go ‘plastic surgery’.”
Heather has been filming TV show Bliss in the UK with Episodes actor Stephen Mangan but has not acclimatised to the British winter.
“There is not a lot of daylight. When I first got here it was dark until 8am and then got dark at 3.30,” she said.
“Stephen Mangan’s got that British sense of humour that’s so charming. He’s so witty. Every second he’s looking for the next joke.”
While in the UK, she has also been practising a northern accent as the new face of Foxy Bingo, as part of a £10 million brand refresh and marketing campaign.
TV viewers will see the star offering the director suggestions for character development in the tongue in-cheek commercial, which debuts on Thursday, when she is unmasked as the woman behind the furry mask.
She said: “I like poker, I like card games. They sent me the concept and I thought it was really funny. It’s super absurd and I like absurd comedy.”
:: Heather Graham is the face of Foxy Bingo and Foxy Casino, foxybingo.com, foxycasino.com
