Lara Flynn Boyle Opens Up About Paparazzi and Ageism In Rare Interview

The 54-year-old was a staple of the '90s and early '00s, starring in The Practice, as well as films like Men In Black II, Wayne's World and Cafe Society. In a rare interview, Boyle opened up to PEOPLE about the attention she received from tabloid magazines publishing photos of her alongside harsh headlines.

"I never wanted to bow out. Any moment I was feeling down or sorry for myself, I made sure I did not complain," she told the publication. "My mom used to sometimes bring me articles about other actresses to show me I'm not the only one getting a raw deal."

In fact, it was the constant criticism and exposure in the tabloids that earned Boyle her first film in four years, writer-director Niclas Larsson's Mother, Couch. Larsson told the publication he "needed someone who physically and mentally lived through something."

"I don't think anyone can imagine what it is like to go through what a lot of women went through in the late '90s, early 2000s," Larsson said.

Boyle previously addressed some of the attention while speaking with The Hollywood Reporter in 2021, saying some photographers are like "mosquitos."

"They're like, 'Boyle has left the side entrance. Boyle is now going out the main gate,'" she explained. "But I chose this profession. I would be a total jerk if I complained about it. If I'm going to take the paycheck, I'm also going to take the bad publicity. It's going to happen."

Despite Boyle having a few years off from being in front of the camera, she does not want to refer to her new role as her "comeback".

"You don't want an article to read, 'Boyle's Second Chance' or ‘Look Who's Back,'" she told PEOPLE. "I'm right here," she added, before revealing that her hiatus was mainly due to COVID and spending time with her husband.

Upon her return to Hollywood, Boyle insisted not a lot has changed in the years she has been away when it comes to inclusivity in the industry.

"The thing that gets my goat is when actresses talk about ageism in Hollywood. Ageism is human nature. It's not Hollywood's fault. It's all of our fault. Myself included. I like looking at pretty people on the camera," she revealed.

"If you want to call me Norma Desmond, go for it," she said. "Whenever I catch a reflection of myself in a lens, I'm like, 'Oh, cut!'"

Mother, Couch opens in select theaters in New York on July 5, before expanding.