Laura Elena, Countess von Bismarck-Schönhausen, commonly known as Laura Harring, is a Mexican-American actress. In 1985, Harring became the first Hispanic woman crowned Miss USA. She later began her acting career in television and film. She is best known for her dual roles as Rita and Camilla Rhodes in the 2001 postmodernneo-noir filmMulholland Drive. She is also known for her roles in other films, including The Forbidden Dance, John Q, Willard, The Punisher, The King, and Love in the Time of Cholera.
Early life
Harring was born in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico on March 3, 1964. Her mother, María Elena Martínez-Cairo, is a spiritual teacher, real estate investor, and former 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. Harring suffered a head wound from a.45 bullet when she was caught by stray fire from a driveby shooting at age 12. 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.
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 in the film ' Harring played the supporting role of Jerri, a flight attendant and the girlfriend of the brother of one of the protagonists, Chris, who joins them for family dinner at their grandmother's house. In television she portrayed Raúl Juliá's character's wife in the NBCtelevision movie'. She was cast by NBC producers after they saw her on the Miss USA broadcast and contacted her with the role. In 1990, Harring was lead actress in the Columbia Pictures release The Forbidden Dance, where she played the role of Nisa—a Brazilian Princess who travels to Los Angeles in order to stop a corporation from demolishing her family home. That same year began recurring role on the ABCdaytime soap operaGeneral Hospital, as Carla Greco. The next few years she had supporting roles in films like Exit to Eden, and '. In 1997, she played the role of Paula Stevens in the NBC soap opera Sunset Beach. After leaving the show, she guest-starred on Frasier in the episode "Dial M for Martin", and appeared in the comedy filmLittle Nicky. Harring is most well known for her performance in David Lynch's film Mulholland Drive, opposite Naomi Watts and Justin Theroux. She played both the characters of "Rita" and "Camilla". In response to her performance and the choice of her for the role, film critic Roger Ebert wrote, "Not many actresses would be bold enough to name themselves after Rita Hayworth, but Harring does, because she can. Slinky and voluptuous in clinging gowns, all she has to do is stand there and she's the first good argument in 55 years for a Gilda remake." Comparisons were also made between Harring and Ava Gardner by The International Herald Tribune. In 2002 she was awarded the American Latino Media Arts Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film for her performance. Harring went on to work twice more with Lynch—as an anthropomorphic rabbit in the limited series Rabbits and in a cameo appearance in Inland Empire. 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. In 2004, she was the spoiled wife of antagonist Mr. Saint, Livia Saint 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, where she plays an abused wife fleeing her husband. In 2006, Harring joined the cast of FX's crime drama, The Shield, as defense attorney Rebecca Doyle, appearing in nine episodes of season five. In the role, she is hired by lead characterVic Mackey to protect his team of corrupt police officers against an Internal Affairs investigation. From 2009 to 2010, she also had a recurring role as Evelyn Bass/Elizabeth Fisher in The CW series Gossip Girl. In the show, she plays a woman posing as the long-lost mother of the character Chuck Bass, before her deceit is discovered by the other characters. She also guest-starred on ' in 2003, ' in 2010, and ' in 2012 and 2016. Harring was also cast in the independent film The Loner directed by Daniel Grove. In 2016 she was cast in the English-language remake of the film Inside, and in Legendary's first digital filmThe Thinning, alongside Logan Paul and Peyton List.
