Lara Flynn Boyle Confesses The Truth Behind Her Decades-Long Disappearance
Every decade has “It” girls and in the '90s, Lara Flynn Boyle was a freckle above the rest. Her classically beautiful features aside, Lara had a glare that seethed, yet, a goodness that you just couldn’t look away from. She was a viper in her performances, which eventually trickled into her reputation behind the scenes.
By the mid-2000s, Lara Flynn Boyle was barely working. She’d gone from starring in prime time shows to filling out the supporting cast in direct to DVD releases. A portrait of chaos, poor health, and desperation was painted in the media, but underneath the smears, Lara’s story shows how double-sided the industry can be.
To her peers and professors at the Chicago Academy for the Arts, senior student Lara Flynn Boyle was positioned to really make it. Before walking the stage at graduation, she was already a card-carrying member of the Screen Actors Guild.
Lara scored a part in the hit Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Though, the thrill of booking such an iconic comedy wore off quickly once she realized her scenes had been cut. Still, with a major credit to her name, she made the leap to Los Angeles.
The 16-year-old actress proved to herself that she had the chops to stir up emotions. Her former acting teacher remembered an assignment where the students performed a memorized monologue. Lara’s had grit, honesty, and humor. Not bad — since she made it all up.
Casting directors saw that spark in Lara too. In her first few years auditioning in LA, she scored spots in the TV miniseries Amerika, the third installment in the Poltergeist franchise, and another ultimately cut scene from the sweeping success Dead Poets Society.