Growing up in a religious household, Graham shared that her family had strong opinions about her avoiding such roles. “They were like, ‘Don’t do anything with any sexual content,’” she recalled. But in the highly competitive world of Hollywood, especially for a young actress, that kind of limitation was tough to maintain. “It’s like impossible,” she admitted.
Despite these reservations, the Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me star eventually decided to take a leap of faith and embrace the opportunity. She noticed other actors thriving in their careers after taking on similar roles and didn’t want to hold herself back. “I just said, ‘Screw it. I wanna do this. The [Boogie Nights] script is amazing,’” Graham said.
Interestingly, the role of Rollergirl was initially offered to a major star who turned it down—Gwyneth Paltrow later confirmed to Howard Stern that she passed on the part. For Graham, however, landing the role marked a “turning point” in her career.
When asked about the experience of filming nude scenes, Graham admitted it was terrifying at first. She shared the self-doubt she faced, worrying about being vulnerable on screen. “You look at all the flaws,” she explained. “I remember just sitting in my trailer, like, being like, ‘Oh my God. I’m so scared.’”
But once she fully immersed herself in her character’s mindset, Graham found the courage she needed. “I was just trying to think about it as the character would think about it,” she said, adding that by focusing on becoming Rollergirl, she was able to push past her nerves.
Looking back, Graham described the filming experience as overwhelmingly positive. “My role was so fun, I had such a great time,” she said. And it’s clear that taking that risk in Boogie Nights paid off, setting the stage for her successful career in Hollywood.