Laura Harring

Laura Harring (born Laura Elena Martínez Herring on March 3, 1964) is a Mexican-American actress. In 1985, Harring became the first Latina woman crowned Miss USA. She later began her acting career in television and film. She is best known for her role as Rita in the 2001 cult neo-noir film Mulholland Drive. She is also known for her roles in other films, including The Forbidden Dance (1990), John Q (2002), Willard (2003), The Punisher (2004), The King (2005), and Love in the Time of Cholera (2007). Early life Harring was born in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico. Her mother, María Elena Martínez-Cairo, is a spiritual teacher, real estate investor, and 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. Caught by stray fire from a driveby shooting at age 12, Harring suffered a head wound from a .45 bullet. At age 16, she convinced her family to let her study in Switzerland at Aiglon College. She eventually returned to America, 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. In 1987, she married Count Carl-Eduard von Bismarck-Schönhausen, great-great-grandson of Otto von Bismarck. While she retains the title of Countess von Bismarck-Schönhausen, the couple divorced in 1989. Career Harring studied theatre at the London Academy of Performing Arts and is skilled in the Italian style of Commedia dell'arte, as well as Latin dances, including the Argentine tango. She later began her acting career in Cinema films, with the playing of Jerri in Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out! and in television, portraying Raul Julia's wife in the NBC television movie The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory (1987). In 1990, Harring was lead actress in the Columbia Pictures film The Forbidden Dance, and in same year began recurring role on the ABC daytime soap opera General Hospital, as Carla Greco. The next few years she had supporting roles in films, like Exit to Eden (1994), and Black Scorpion II: Aftershock (1997). In 1997, she played the role of Paula Stevens in the NBC soap opera Sunset Beach. She starred in the soap from January 6, 1997 to December 17, 1997, and after leaving it, guest-starred on Frasier, and appeared in comedy film Little Nicky. Harring is most well known for her performance in David Lynch's cult film Mulholland Drive (2001), opposite Naomi Watts and Justin Theroux. Harring went on to work twice more with Lynch—as an anthropomorphic rabbit in Rabbits (2002) and in a cameo appearance in Inland Empire (2006). In 2003, she starred in Mi Casa, Su Casa together with Barbara Eden of I Dream of Jeannie fame. After Mulholland Drive, Harring began starring in films, appearing in number of movies in the next few years. In 2002, she appeared in John Q, and was female lead opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme in Derailed. In next year she starred along with Crispin Glover in Willard. In 2004, she starred as John Travolta's spoiled wife 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. In 2006, Harring joined the cast of the FX critically acclaimed crime drama, The Shield, as defense attorney Rebecca Doyle. From 2009 to 2010, she also had a recurring role as Evelyn Bass/Elizabeth Fisher in The CW series Gossip Girl. She also guest-starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2003, Law & Order: Criminal Intent in 2010, and NCIS: Los Angeles in 2012.