Heather Graham says she feels 'free' after deciding not to have kids. For years, she’s felt unable to say it.

Whether you know her from Boogie Nights, Scream, Flowers in the Attic, The Hangover or Austin Powers, one thing is for sure, American actress Heather Graham has spent decades hustling to make a name for herself in Hollywood.  

But despite all her accomplishments, Graham constantly faces questions about her decision not to have children. 

Check out the trailer for Heather Graham's latest film On a Wing and a Prayer here. Post continues below.

Speaking to PEOPLE, Graham opened up about her feelings on the matter. 

"I think we all have different paths… You just have to embrace the one that you're on. If, somehow, I had had kids, I'm sure that would've been cool. But at the moment, not having kids, I do feel free. And I get a lot of sleep. That is pretty great."

The actress also addressed the sexism that still exists around a woman’s decision not to have children. 

"I do feel like as a woman, culturally, you're not allowed to say, 'I didn't want to have kids. Because it's like, what's wrong with you?'" 

"I think as a man it's like, oh yeah, cool, you didn't want to have kids. Now, women are getting more free to just make their own choices."

She isn’t the first Hollywood actress to touch on this subject. 

Friends star Jennifer Aniston has, on multiple occasions, spoken with disdain on being judged for allegedly ‘putting her career before children.’ 

Writing an essay for The HuffPost, Aniston penned: “We are complete with or without a mate, with or without a child. We get to decide for ourselves what is beautiful when it comes to our bodies. That decision is ours and ours alone.”

Graham also said to PEOPLE: "I don't feel that I'm missing anything… I do sometimes feel like my projects are little kids."

Image: Instagram @imheathergraham

Speaking on sexism in Hollywood, Graham now feels in a position to look back on her career with a slightly more critical eye. 

While films like Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me were huge contributing factors to her success as an actress in a tough industry, they were without a doubt incredibly sexist. 

"Some of the movies from that time period, they were so sexist," the star told PEOPLE. "No one really thought about it or commented on it. At that point, people thought they were being really evolved and now we look back and go, 'Whoa, that was so sexist.' I'm glad that we are growing as a culture."

Graham opened up about how her roles as a sexual object in male-driven stories affected her self-esteem. 

Image: Getty

"I always felt like I was a supporting character in a man's story." 

"I wasn't always going, what do I want? I was going, how do I people please someone else? My journey has been to get more clear on what I want and go after that."

With over 30 years' experience in the industry, Graham revealed that while more people may care now, the industry still has a long way to go. 

"I feel like nothing has changed drastically… more people care, but it's not suddenly equal. It's still pretty sexist, to be honest."

“Every phase of the business, whether it's financing, distribution, the reviewers, all those people are mostly men.”

She explains that there are still huge internal barriers to getting women led stories into production. 

“To get a female driven story that is appealing mostly to women through all these levels of male dominated business, it's not that easy," she said. 

It’s these issues that have lit a fire in the actress’s belly to get more involved behind the scenes. 

Graham has begun to explore a career behind the camera in producing, writing and directing. 

"It's hard, but it's super fulfilling… It's really exciting to want to tell a story that you really care about."

"I really like hearing female voices because I think we learn a lot about the world from the movies and TV that we watch. If we're always being told stories from just a male point of view, that doesn't help women."

Graham is all set to produce a TV series based on author Liane Moriarty's Hypnotist's Love Story as well as direct and star in a screenplay she wrote herself titled Chosen Family. 

Feature Image: Instagram @imheathergraham