Laura Harring, born Laura Elena Martínez Herring on March 3, 1964, in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, Mexico, is a Mexican-American actress and former beauty queen who made history as the first Hispanic woman to be crowned Miss USA in 1985.
Raised in a multicultural household, she is of German-Austrian descent through her father, Raymond Herring, a developer and organic farmer, and of Spanish-Mexican descent through her mother, María Elena Martínez-Cairo, a spiritual teacher and real estate investor.
Harring’s early life was marked by frequent travel, spending her first ten years in Mexico before relocating to San Antonio, Texas, at age ten.
Her diverse background and bilingual upbringing in English and Spanish shaped her artistic sensibilities and global perspective.
After attending Aiglon College in Switzerland, she worked as a social worker in India and backpacked through Asia and Europe, experiences that profoundly influenced her worldview.
Siblings
Laura grew up with two sisters, Rita Harring, and a stepsister, also named Ana María Lima, through her mother’s second marriage to Gaston Lima.
Her parents divorced when she was seven, and her family dynamics were shaped by their multicultural heritage and frequent relocations.
However, there is little public information available about her sisters’ personal lives or professional endeavors as they live a private life.
Career
Harring’s career began in the world of beauty pageants, where she made history as the first Latina to win Miss USA in 1985 at age 21, after securing the titles of Miss El Paso USA and Miss Texas USA.
Following her pageant success, she embarked on a year-long journey through Asia and Europe, working as a social worker in India before transitioning to acting.
Her acting debut came in 1987 with a role in the NBC television movie The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory, where she played Raúl Juliá’s wife, a part she landed after producers spotted her on the Miss USA broadcast.
In 1989, she appeared in her first film, Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out!, and in 1990, she starred as Nisa, a Brazilian princess, in The Forbidden Dance.
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That same year, she joined the cast of the ABC soap opera General Hospital as Carla Greco, a role she played until 1991.
Harring’s breakthrough came in 2001 with David Lynch’s neo-noir masterpiece Mulholland Drive, where she portrayed the dual roles of Rita and Camilla Rhodes, earning widespread critical acclaim.
Her performance opposite Naomi Watts and Justin Theroux cemented her status as a versatile actress, with critics drawing comparisons to screen legends Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner.
Harring continued to work with Lynch in projects like the limited series Rabbits (2002) and a cameo in Inland Empire (2006).
Her filmography includes notable roles in John Q (2002) opposite Denzel Washington, The Punisher (2004) with John Travolta, Love in the Time of Cholera (2007) alongside Javier Bardem, and The King (2005) with William Hurt.
On television, she portrayed Rebecca “Becca” Doyle in nine episodes of The Shield (2006), a defense attorney aiding a corrupt police team, and appeared as Evelyn Bass/Elizabeth Fisher in Gossip Girl (2009–2010).
Other guest roles include Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2003), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2010), and NCIS: Los Angeles (2012, 2016).
More recently, she appeared in the 2016 film The Thinning and the 2022 romantic comedy Father of the Bride as Diego Boneta’s mother.
Beyond acting, Harring is a talented artist, specializing in painting and sculpting, and is known for her philanthropy, particularly in mental health, women’s empowerment, and animal rights advocacy.
Accolades
Harring’s performance in Mulholland Drive earned her significant recognition, including the American Latino Media Arts (ALMA) Award for Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film in 2002.
She also received the Best Actress award at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival for her role in the film, a testament to her ability to embody complex, enigmatic characters.
Additionally, she won the Best Actress award at the 2002 New York International Independent Film and Video Festival for her work in The Last Resort.
Harring was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for her ensemble performance in Mulholland Drive, further highlighting the film’s critical success.
Her groundbreaking achievement as the first Hispanic Miss USA in 1985 remains a historic milestone, paving the way for greater representation of Latina women in entertainment and beauty industries.
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