Lara Flynn Boyle was
born in Davenport, Iowa, and raised in Chicago. In grade school, she
discovered that she had trouble processing information while reading (integration
disorder). She was sent to Loyola University for training in various
study methods. In the meantime Lara began attending the prestigious
Piven Theater, an improvisational workshop for young actors. There,
she found out just exactly what she wanted to do with her life. She
won a scholarship to the Chicago Academy for the Arts, a small, elite,
private high school for the performing arts. She also wrote and acted
in several local theater productions.
In 1985, at the age
of 15, she auditioned for the role of daughter to the Robert Urich
character on ABC's controversial miniseries, "Amerika".
Director Donald Wyre thought Ms. Boyle was so perfect for the part
that he lowered the character's age in order to cast her. She spent
nine months on location in Nebraska and Toronto. Lara Flynn recalls
her movie debut with affection:"I suppose everyone always has the
fondest memories of their first film. I was treated like a queen.
Donald Wyre gave me a diamond pendant for my birthday, and in Nebraska,
I got invited to five proms. I was also necking passionately on screen
for the first time with a 25-year-old actor." Ms. Boyle also
notes gleefully that she was still a full-time student while working
in "Amerika", and as a result flunked her acting and
directing classes. She went home to Chicago, took the courses again,
and continued with both her school work and acting. Following Lara
Flynn's graduation, she and her mother moved to Los Angeles.
Lara drives a classic
'57 pink and gray Oldsmobile, and likes to spend as much time as she
can with her golden retriever, Bella. On weekends, she browses the
antique stores and collects antique hats, purses and clothes. Lara
Flynn is still an ardent Chicago Cubs fan, and she goes to the movies
constantly.
