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Lara Flynn Boyle (born March 24, 1970) is an American actress. Although born in Iowa, Lara Flynn Boyle was raised in the Chicago area by her mother after her parents' divorce. While still young, the pert, freckled brunette was diagnosed with a learning disability and she enrolled at the Piven Theater improvisational workshop as a means to develop ways of expressing herself. Although she had landed a supporting role as Robert Urich's daughter in the ABC miniseries "Amerika" (1987), Boyle heeded her mothers' wishes and finished high school (the elite Chicago Academy for the Arts which she attended on scholarship) before beginning her career in earnest. Her film debut came as the cousin of little Carol Ann (the late Heather O'Rourke) in the unnecessary "Poltergeist III" (1988) and Boyle began to gain prominence with her portrayal of homicide victim Jennifer Levin in the ABC TV-movie "The Preppie Murder" (1989). After a turn as Charlie Sheen's girlfriend in "The Rookie" (1990), David Lynch then cast her as the wholesome girl-next-door (who harbored a naughty side) in the surreal cult drama "Twin Peaks" (ABC, 1990-91). Boyle was born in Davenport, Iowa, the daughter of Sally Boyle, a clerical worker, assistant, and manager. Although she is of mostly Irish descent, Boyle also has an Italian-American great-grandfather. She is named after a character in Boris Pasternak's novel Dr. Zhivago. She was raised in Chicago, Illinois and Wisconsin. Boyle studied at and graduated from The Chicago Academy for the Arts. Boyle's first film role was a bit part in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986), which earned her a SAG card, though her scene was eliminated from the final cut of the film. She then appeared in the mini-series Amerika (1987) and films Poltergeist III (1988) and Dead Poets Society (1989), before landing her first major part, that of Donna Hayward in the critically acclaimed series Twin Peaks. When the series ended in 1991, creator David Lynch produced a movie, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, but - largely due to her rise in fame and increased film offers - Boyle chose not to return. Moira Kelly took over the role of Donna for the film. Boyle tried to shake her "nice" image playing a showgirl involved with gangster Lucky Luciano (Christian Slater) in "Mobsters" (1991), a teenaged runaway in "Where the Day Takes You" (1992) and as the voracious, former girlfriend of Mike Myers' Wayne in "Wayne's World" (also 1992). She delivered a delicately nuanced performance as Matthew Modine's shy lover in "Equinox" (1992), directed by Alan Rudolph before turning villainous in the cliché-ridden "The Temp" (1993). She was fine as the target of a hit man in John Dahl's neo-noir "Red Rock West" (1993) and as the spunky collegian in the triangular "Threesome" (1994). Reunited with Modine, Boyle shone as Rachel in the biblical miniseries "Jacob" (TNT, 1994). Her sultry charms were employed as a women driven to prostitution by her husband in the 50s-era "Cafe Society" (Showtime, 1996) and as a barmaid in the comedy "The Big Squeeze" (1996). In 1997, Boyle auditioned for the title role in David E. Kelley's Ally McBeal. Although she lost out to Calista Flockhart, the actress impressed Kelley enough to create the role of Assistant District Attorney Helen Gamble in his other 1997 series, The Practice, specifically for her. She starred on that show until 2003, when - in a dramatic attempt to revamp the show and cut costs - she was unceremoniously dismissed along with most of the cast. The role of Helen earned her an Emmy nomination, as well as several Screen Actors Guild ensemble cast nominations. Boyle also made a crossover appearance in the role of Helen in an episode of Ally McBeal, the show she originally was not cast for. While receiving a string of favorable reviews for her film and television work to date, it was not until she returned to series television that Boyle started to become a household name. In 1997, she joined the cast of David E Kelley's legal drama "The Practice" (ABC) as an assistant district attorney attracted to defense lawyer Dylan McDermott. She also reunited with director Alan Rudolph as a young woman involved with a much older handyman in "Afterglow" (1997). In 2002, Boyle played a lead role in the blockbuster film Men in Black II as the villainous alien Serleena. She also guest-starred on one of the last episodes of Ally McBeal, this time as Tally Cupp, a completely different role from that which she had played before. Recently, she had a recurring role on several episodes of Huff, playing Melody Coatar, an unstable patient with borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder. In 2002, Boyle scored her first blockbuster hit after replacing actress Famke Janssen in "Men In Black II.” Boyle returned to regular series life with a recurring role on “Huff” (Showtime, 2004- ), an award-winning medical drama on which she played a mental patient with uncontrollable violent impulses. She then joined the cast of “Las Vegas” (NBC, 2004- ) as a new casino owner who ruffles the feathers of her employees, especially the head of security (James Caan). In 2005, Boyle joined the cast of Las Vegas for a seven-episode stint as Monica, a new hotel owner. She played Barbara Amiel in the TV true story "Shades of Black", about Amiel's controversial husband, Lord Conrad Black. Boyle also guest-starred as an ambitious reporter involved with the suspects in a possible murder in the Law & Order 2008 episode "Submission". Boyle has dated actors Jack Nicholson, Richard Dean Anderson, Kyle MacLachlan, David Spade, and Eric Dane. She has a tattoo on her back from then-boyfriend Jay Penske. She is dyslexic. She has been married twice. Her first husband was John Patrick Dee III, whom she married on August 11, 1996 and divorced two years later. Her current husband is Donald Ray Thomas II, a real-estate investor, whom she married on December 18, 2006 in San Antonio, Texas. Boyle's home in Beverly Hills was built in the 1920s as servants' quarters for Pickfair, the home of actress Mary Pickford. |
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