Laura Harring Won Miss USA, Married a Bismarck, and Starred in Mulholland Drive. Here’s Her Life After Hollywood

In a 2016 BBC critics’ poll, Mulholland Drive was voted the Best Film of the 21st Century. Quite the achievement for a film that only brought in just over $20 million at the box office. The film turned 25 on October 12, 2026 (its US release date), and critics still rate it highly [Rotten Tomatoes: 83%].

Laura Harring stars in the film as ‘Rita’ — an amnesiac woman who is befriended by Naomi Watts’ character. This role put Harring on the map and earned her an ALMA Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture in 2002.

But there is also so much more to Harring’s career than Mulholland Drive. The Mexican-American actress had roles as recently as 2022 (Father of the Bride) and has more than 60 acting credits to her name.

However, in January 2024, Laura Harring announced her retirement in an Instagram reel captioned “I officially retired from Hollywood… And I remain so grateful and happy that I was able to express life and characters for 40 years!!”

So what has she been doing since she left Hollywood, and how did she get her foot in the door in the first place?

RELATED: Mulholland Drive at 25: ABC Rejected It as “Too Dark, Slow, and Confusing,” Then David Lynch Meditated and “All the Ideas Came”

How Laura Harring Won Miss USA in 1985

Harring was born in Mexico, and moved to Texas with her family as a child. After studying at a boarding school in Switzerland, she settled in El Paso and entered the pageant circuit.

After winning Miss El Paso USA and Miss Texas USA, Harring became the very first Latina to win Miss USA in 1985. And she wasn’t done. That same year, she placed in the top 10 at Miss Universe.

NBC producers spotted her on the Miss USA broadcast and cast her as Raúl Juliá’s wife in the 1987 TV movie The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory. Her film debut was Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out! (1989), and a year later she landed the lead in The Forbidden Dance (1990). She also married Count Carl-Eduard von Bismarck-Schönhausen, a great-grandson of German chancellor Otto von Bismarck, in 1987.

Fun fact: For the national costume round at Miss Universe 1985, Harring dressed as a cowgirl, a nod to her Texas roots.

How Laura Harring Landed the Role of Rita in Mulholland Drive

Despite dozens of roles throughout the ’90s, Harring was struggling to land a true breakout. By 34, she had parted ways with her agent and turned to music and theater instead.

Then, in January 1999, she got a phone call that changed everything. David Lynch had seen her photograph and wanted to meet about his new TV series called Mulholland Drive.

Harring was so excited that she got into a minor car accident on the way to the gym. The character Rita is in a car crash in the pilot’s opening minutes. Harring took that as a sign from the universe that she was in the right place, as she told Vulture in a 2015 interview.

ABC passed on the pilot, but Lynch reworked it into the 2001 film. That’s when Harring also took on the role of Camilla Rhodes, playing both halves of the film’s famous twist.

Laura Harring Movies and TV Shows Beyond Mulholland Drive

Throughout her 40-year career, Harring has taken on all sorts of roles, some of which may come as a surprise:

• John Q (2002): A crime drama starring Denzel Washington
• Willard (2003): The horror remake about a man and his rats
• The Punisher (2004): Marvel’s vigilante action film, in which she played Livia Saint
• The Shield (2006): Recurring role as Rebecca “Becca” Doyle
• Inland Empire (2006): A surreal reunion with David Lynch, in which she appeared as one of the Rabbits
• Love in the Time of Cholera (2007): The Gabriel García Márquez adaptation

RELATED: Fairuza Balk Left Hollywood “For My Own Sanity,” 30 Years After The Craft: Here’s Her Life Now

Laura Harring Now: Life Since Retiring From Hollywood

Since retiring in 2024, Harring has shifted her focus to yoga, personal growth, and spirituality. She also travels frequently. When she’s not at home in L.A., her Instagram suggests that she is visiting family in Mexico or enjoying a wellness retreat in some far-off destination.

The former actress posts regularly on Instagram, often sharing quotes about gratitude and spirituality amidst her tropical holiday pics and selfies.

View this post on Instagram

In 2025, she shared an emotional tribute to David Lynch after the director died at age 78. Alongside a photo of herself and Naomi Watts kissing Lynch on the cheek at Cannes in 2001, Harring wrote that she knew he was “creating movies, writing, painting and meditating from up above.”

Despite her 1989 divorce from the count, she still maintains her title and is styled as Countess von Bismarck-Schönhausen. Harring has no publicly known second marriage and has kept very private about her personal life.

RELATED: A.J. Langer Played Rayanne on My So-Called Life, Then Became a Countess in a 600-Year-Old Castle. Here’s How the Fairytale Ended

Where to watch: Mulholland Drive is available to rent or buy on Apple TV and is also available in a Criterion Collection edition.