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A Lonestar Rises in Hollywood
By Pam Losefsky
There’s a little something that distinguishes Lori Heuring from all the other aspiring actresses peopling Hollywood: she’s got an honors degree from one of the top business schools in the country. That’s right—she’s one of ours!
Growing up modeling and doing theater, it would have been natural for the Austin native to dash off to California after graduating from high school like many of her peers. “I had an agreement with my parents that I would get an education and that it would be in something that I wasn’t already motivated to do,” explains Lori. And no matter how supportive your parents are, she adds, they’ve got to be thinking that you may not make it. It’s a tough business. “It’s great peace of mind to know that I have this other knowledge and could do something else.”
Not that she thinks it won’t work out. “If you love it and it’s a passion, I don’t know how you won’t work.” But what her education has already done for her, she says, is led her to be especially disciplined and shaped how she approaches the business of acting. She’s always prepared, going into meetings having read the entire script and armed with a point of view. “I try to take a more cerebral look at the script and see where it takes me,” she says.
Heuring has been working steadily since graduating from UT in 1996. She had roles in the studio movies “The Newton Boys” and “8 Seconds,” and spots on the T.V. shows “Beverly Hills 90210,” “Murder One,” “Seventh Heaven,” and “Early Edition.” She’s appeared in many independent films and recently had her first starring role in a studio film, “The In Crowd,” about a recovering mental patient trying to fit in with an even more tormented group of country-club brats. In an upcoming independent film titled “Nailed,” she’ll play the pregnant girlfriend of Brad Rowe.
“What I love about acting,” says Heuring, “is that you constantly learn, you constantly evolve.” Having stepped into the shoes of a poor pregnant girl, a mental patient, a drug addict, and other complicated characters, the actress has discovered much both about herself and about her craft. And working opposite seasoned actors like Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. and Harvey Keitel, she’s had the opportunity to get some terrific on-the-job training.
“One thing I’ve learned so far is that this is very much a business,” she says. “You have to have a manager, an agent, a lawyer, an accountant.” In a typical day, Heuring will spend five hours reading scripts. “I did four independent movies last year—you figure those take about two months each, and the rest of the time I’m reading scripts and going to meetings, so I don’t have much time off.”
The Texas native has also learned not to let the surreal side of Hollywood sidetrack her. When she first moved to California and her friends told her not to read reviews, she thought it was silly advice. “But I learned my lesson—bad reviews come along and rip you apart, you take it personally,” she admits. “And then if you get a good one, it just goes to your head.” She now no longer reads her press, but depends on those who are closest to her to give her honest feedback.
Eventually, Heuring hopes to also wear some of the other hats in the industry, perhaps taking on the producer role—a job where her McCombs School education will serve her well. A recent article in Moviemaker magazine suggests, “Perhaps the best preparation for an aspiring moviemaker would be to attend business school and learn the intricacies of high finance.” The job of an independent film producer is extensive: she must find a good script, secure funding, hire crews and actors, and manage the budget. But eventually taking on more responsibility is something Heuring is eager to do.
How about a script about a UT Business School grad making it big in Hollywood? Now there's a film we'd all go see!
For information on specific programs at the McCombs School, consult our contacts page. For media information, contact the Communications Director by phone at 512-471-3314 or by email at CommunicationsDirector@mccombs.utexas.edu.
