At 56, Heather Graham is in her glow-up era — and it has less to do with chasing youth than it does with finally feeling good from the inside out. “I’m not saying I’m always happy,” she tells Us Weekly in this week’s cover story, “but I feel like I’ve figured out how to enjoy my life more as I get older.”
That shift didn’t happen overnight. After decades in Hollywood (including scene-stealing turns as Rollergirl in 1997’s Boogie Nights and Felicity Shagwell in 1999’s Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me) and years spent learning how to set boundaries, let go of outside validation and prioritize her well-being, Graham has redefined what beauty means to her. These days, it’s less about perfection and more about balance.
“Career is important, but if you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything,” says the actress, whose latest project, the comedy horror They Will Kill You, is out March 27. “I’m lucky to be alive and healthy. That’s No. 1, over my career and over everything else.”
For Graham, that philosophy informs everything — from how she moves her body and cares for her skin to how she manages stress and chooses where to place her energy. Her approach? A blend of high-tech skincare, time-honored self-care rituals and a mindset rooted in gratitude, all of which help explain why she feels (and looks!) better than ever.
Sleep, Yoga and Stress Relief
One of Graham’s most effective “secrets” is also one of the simplest: rest. “I get a lot of sleep. Sometimes people make fun of me — I can get 10 hours, sometimes 11,” she says. “I love sleeping.”
The actress also prioritizes movement, particularly yoga, which she’s returned to time and again, including through immersive retreats (like the one she just attended in Tulum, Mexico, with pal Molly Shannon!) that serve as both a physical and emotional reset. “When I’m really stressed, I’ll go to yoga, and it’s so cathartic,” she says. “I have this one really sweaty class I go to, and when it’s over, all my worries and stress — I just let it go. That’s amazing.”
Meditation is another cornerstone of her routine, helping her stay grounded and present. Last year, Graham told Retreat Magazine that she adopted the practice when she was 21, and has been meditating 40 minutes a day ever since. And when she needs to recalibrate, she turns to nature — long walks, fresh air and time spent with people she trusts. “Being around people who love you and being in nature is important,” she said. “It changes how you feel.”
A Balanced Approach to Diet
When it comes to food, Graham has moved away from extremes — a shift she says came with time and self-awareness. “I had unhealthy eating habits,” she admits, recalling a period in her early 20s when she would skip meals and overindulge in sugar. “This is terrible, but I would be like, ‘I don’t want to eat dinner. I’m gonna go to the grocery store and buy, like, eight candy bars or a pint of ice cream. And then I’d be like, OK, that was bad. So now I’m just not gonna eat any regular food.”
Now, her focus is balance. She loves cooking, often hosting friends and experimenting in the kitchen, and tells Us she’s even considering a future project centered on women, food and conversation. “I love having people over, and I cook for them,” she says. “It’s a fun way to hang out, and it’s very nurturing.”
Still, the Boogie Nights star keeps things flexible. Alongside nutrient-rich meals, she allows herself the occasional indulgence and practices a relaxed version of intermittent fasting. “I like eating breakfast and lunch… sometimes I won’t eat dinner,” she shares. As for the Ozempic trend dominating Hollywood, Graham is intrigued, but measured. “It seems like some people love it and I can totally see the appeal,” she says. “But I feel fearful people haven’t been taking it long enough to know if there are bad side effects.” Instead, she relies on “working out and dieting and stuff.”
Her Go-To Treatments
While Graham hasn’t gone under the knife, she’s open to exploring noninvasive options that deliver subtle, natural results. “I’ve never had an actual operation where they’re cutting my face open,” she tells Us. “But I’ve tried microneedling, Botox… and a bunch of lasery things.”
She’s tried Ultherapy, Thermage, Sofwave and Morpheus8 — a radio-frequency microneedling treatment she’s incorporated more recently. For Graham, consistency matters more than any single procedure. “I’m happy there are these halfway steps,” she says. “You can do something, but you don’t have to do some huge thing.”
That said, the process isn’t always glamorous. “Some of those laser treatments are torture,” she admits. “Like, an hour and a half of your face getting blasted.”
Thoughts on Plastic Surgery
Graham’s philosophy on cosmetic procedures is refreshingly straightforward: keep it natural. “I don’t want to look freaky,” she says with a laugh. “My goal is to look natural.” While the Hangover star has experimented with filler in the past, she’s since stepped away from it in favor of less invasive treatments. “I stopped getting it because I just didn’t want,” she notes. “I’m more into the laser treatments now.”
That doesn’t mean she’s ruling plastic surgery out entirely. “I feel like some people get facelifts and they just kind of end up looking like… I mean, there are people that get it, and it’s good. But I just don’t want to be one of those people that got it and look freaky,” she explains. “But I don’t know if [when] I got older, I wouldn’t completely rule out. Who knows, in the future.”
Still, she believes there’s something to be said for embracing the aging process — at least to a degree. “I think it looks better to be getting slightly older than looking like you had some kind of weird plastic surgery,” she adds. “I think it’s great that now we have a middle ground.”
The Underrated Treatment She Swears By
Beyond skincare and fitness, Graham credits one lesser-known wellness practice with helping her feel her best: craniosacral therapy. “It’s kind of like a massage of your nervous system,” she says of the hands-on treatment that uses gentle pressure on the head, neck and back to relieve stress and pain. “When I leave, I feel so relaxed,” she adds, “like I can really see all the good in life.”
For Graham, that sense of clarity is just as valuable as any physical treatment, particularly when it comes to managing stress and maintaining perspective. “It’s what you put your attention on,” she shares. “If you focus on something negative, that grows.”
The Real Secret
Ultimately, Graham’s beauty philosophy is more about alignment than perfection. From sleep and yoga to skincare treatments and setting boundaries, every part of her routine is designed to support how she feels, not just how she looks.
“You have to fill your own cup,” she tells Us. “Then you can give from the overflow.” And now that she’s in her 50s, that inside-out approach may be her most enduring beauty secret yet.
Read Heather Graham’s full cover story here.
