Actress Heather Graham talks ‘Half Magic,’ her directing debut

We met actress Heather Grahman when she was visiting New York City recently. We loved her in the movie “Norm of the North.”

As a child since you relocated a lot, what was your favorite place that you lived?

I really liked when I lived in Virginia. I lived in Virginia outside of Washington, D.C., because my dad worked for the FBI and there was really a forest in our backyard. So I loved that because I love nature and there were all these green trees and it was really beautiful.

When did you actually decide to become an actress?

Well, when I was a kid I was in school plays and then I think when I was a teenager I thought, “I’m going to be an actor, I’m going to be in the movies.” I started working when I was around 16 or 17. But I would have liked to start even younger, but I didn’t get a chance to do that.

Who do you consider to be your role model in your acting career and in your directing career?

In my acting career I always loved watching Katharine Hepburn movies and in my directing career — I just directed my first movie, thank you for asking me about that — it’s inspiring to see more women writing scripts and directing. So I get really excited when women do that.

In the movie the director says, “A director never quits.” Being a director yourself do you agree with this?

Yes, I do agree with that.

Do you have any advice for someone who just received a lead role in a school play?

I think you just have to believe in yourself and always feel good about yourself no matter what anyone says.

Knowing you relocated a lot and you’re a little shy, what made you want to become an actor?

I think sometimes when you’re shy it’s fun to have this other outlet where you can be yourself. If you feel shy when acting it makes you more outgoing. So I think I like that and also I think I have a good imagination. I like to imagine that I have these different lives.

What do you think is the most challenging: acting, directing or modeling?

I’ve never actually been a model, but I’ve done a lot of photo shoots. I think directing is harder because it takes a lot more time. But acting is really hard, too. Since I directed for the first time, when I watch actors I have more respect for them because you have to be very brave to put yourself out there like that.

We all consider ourselves nerds. In your nerdiest voice, what is your favorite book series?

As a kid I loved reading “The Hobbit,” “The Lord of the Rings” and all those books. They’re all amazing. I read a lot of the “Harry Potter” books. I loved all the “Chronicles of Narnia” books when I was a kid. Those were great. There were also these books because my movie is called “Half Magic,” but when I was a kid there were these books by Edgar Eager called “Half Magic.” They’re really cool. They’re about magic and stuff.

What is it like finally directing “Half Magic”?

It’s really cool. It’s really cool to have an idea and then write it down and then to actually see it, that you really made it. It’s kind of an amazing thing.

Did you keep any of your outfits when you were doing your photo shoots?

I did keep a few things when they would let me keep things.

What are the struggles of a young person acting, like when you first started your career?

It’s very hard to get an agent. If you want to be an actor you have to get an agent, and it’s hard to get anyone to take you seriously doing anything new that you’ve never done before. So you just have to not take no for an answer.