Laura Harring

Born in Mexico in 1964, Laura Harring moved with her family to Texas in 1975, then went to Switzerland to study foreign languages at college. During her studies, she traveled to India for a project as a social worker, digging ditches beginning at 5:00 AM each day and doing other kinds of manual labor. The following year she went backpacking around the world. Before returning home, she ventured to England to study drama at the London Academy of Performing Arts, where she performed in such Shakespeare productions as A Midsummer Night's Dream and Henry IV Part II.

After returning to the States and continuing her stage career in California, Laura decided to enter the Miss El Paso competition. After winning that pageant, she went on to become Miss Texas, then Miss USA and participated in the Miss Universe pageant. Although she did not win the Universe title, Hollywood took great interest, casting her in various films and television shows.

Starting with a small role in the telefilm, The Alamo: Thirteen Days to Glory, Laura went on to more television projects, including the telefilm Desperado: Avalanche at Devil's Ridge and a regular gig playing Carla Greco on General Hospital for a year. The '90s marked her start in the feature film industry with strong showings in The Forbidden Dance (1990), Dead Women in Lingerie (1991), Exit to Eden (1994) and Hoover Park (1997).

By the start of this millennium she had more doors open to her, including a regular role in the series Black Scorpion, a role in the big budget Little Nicky (2000) and starring roles in Mulholland Drive (2001), written and directed by David Lynch, and John Q (2001), starring Denzel Washington.

Other credits include the action movie The Punisher (2004) with Thomas Jane in the title role, the series The Shield, the feature film Nancy Drew (2007) starring Emma Roberts, the romantic drama Love in the Time of Cholera (2007) with Javier Bardem, and several episodes of the TV series Gossip Girl, The Shield, and NCIS: Los Angles.

During her European years, Laura married Count Carl Von Bismark in 1987, making her a Countess, but the marriage did not last long and they later separated amicably less than two years later.

Filmography:

Nancy Drew (2007)
Ghost Son (2006)
The King (2006)
All Souls Day: Dia de los Muertos (2005)
The Punisher (2004)
Return to Babylon (2004)
The poet (2003)
Mi Casa, Su Casa (2003)
Willard (2003)
John Q (2001)
New Shoes (2001)
Mulholland Drive (2001)
Little Nicky (2000)
Hoover Park (1997)
Black Scorpion II: Aftershock (1996)
Exit to Eden (1994)
Dead Women in Lingerie (1991)
The Forbidden Dance (1990)
Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out! (1989)