Although born in Iowa, Lara Flynn Boyle was raised in the Chicago area by her mother after her parents' divorce. While still young, the pert, freckled brunette was diagnosed with a learning disability and she enrolled at the Piven Theater improvisational workshop as a means to develop ways of expressing herself. Although she had landed a supporting role as Robert Urich's daughter in the ABC miniseries "Amerika" (1987), Boyle heeded her mothers' wishes and finished high school (the elite Chicago Academy for the Arts which she attended on scholarship) before beginning her career in earnest. Her film debut came as the cousin of little Carol Ann (the late Heather O'Rourke) in the unnecessary "Poltergeist III" (1988) and Boyle began to gain prominence with her portrayal of homicide victim Jennifer Levin in the ABC TV-movie "The Preppie Murder" (1989). After a turn as Charlie Sheen's girlfriend in "The Rookie" (1990), David Lynch then cast her as the wholesome girl-next-door (who harbored a naughty side) in the surreal cult drama "Twin Peaks" (ABC, 1990-91).
Boyle tried to shake her "nice" image playing a showgirl involved with gangster Lucky Luciano (Christian Slater) in "Mobsters" (1991), a teenaged runaway in "Where the Day Takes You" (1992) and as the voracious, former girlfriend of Mike Myers' Wayne in "Wayne's World" (also 1992). She delivered a delicately nuanced performance as Matthew Modine's shy lover in "Equinox" (1992), directed by Alan Rudolph before turning villainous in the cliché-ridden "The Temp" (1993). She was fine as the target of a hit man in John Dahl's neo-noir "Red Rock West" (1993) and as the spunky collegian in the triangular "Threesome" (1994). Reunited with Modine, Boyle shone as Rachel in the biblical miniseries "Jacob" (TNT, 1994). Her sultry charms were employed as a women driven to prostitution by her husband in the 50s-era "Cafe Society" (Showtime, 1996) and as a barmaid in the comedy "The Big Squeeze" (1996).
While receiving a string of favorable reviews for her film and television work to date, it was not until she returned to series television that Boyle started to become a household name. In 1997, she joined the cast of David E Kelley's legal drama "The Practice" (ABC) as an assistant district attorney attracted to defense lawyer Dylan McDermott. She also reunited with director Alan Rudolph as a young woman involved with a much older handyman in "Afterglow" (1997). In 2002, Boyle scored her first blockbuster hit after replacing actress Famke Janssen in "Men In Black II.” Boyle returned to regular series life with a recurring role on “Huff” (Showtime, 2004- ), an award-winning medical drama on which she played a mental patient with uncontrollable violent impulses. She then joined the cast of “Las Vegas” (NBC, 2004- ) as a new casino owner who ruffles the feathers of her employees, especially the head of security (James Caan).