Heather Graham: “I’d rather be happily single than unhappily married”

Women often feel pressured to find “the one,” and settle down and get married. The trouble is that many marriages simply aren’t happy. Actress Heather Graham thinks we should reevaluate how we view marriage and relationships.

Heather (43) covers Vegas Magazine‘s 10th Anniversary issue, and opens up about decided to live her life for herself, not for the people others told her she should be.

“A lot of times, we’re brought up to please other people or take care of other people,” she said. “It’s ingrained in our nature to be motherly. I had to step outside and go, ‘What makes me happy?’ I had to completely rethink that. … I was taught to be demure, so it was harder for me to learn how to stand up go myself and go, ‘What do I want? What are my desires?’ ”

Heather has dated a number of hot A-listers, but still hasn’t found anyone she could see herself with long-term, and she’s okay with that. “I think everyone I’ve dated has been great, but maybe not the most compatible match. … I do have some great stories; I’ve definitely lived. … Maybe [I will tell them] when I’m 80, and everyone’s dead!”

“I’m not against marriage. I would definitely do it if I was in the right situation. I would like to be with someone I could settle down with and be with for the rest of my life. But I don’t feel like I need to. … I kind of feel like I dodged a bullet. I’d rather be happily single than unhappily married. In the meantime, I’m having a lot of fun. Good sex!”

Heather’s making some great points here. It’s not worth it to suffer through unhappy relationships just because you think it’s what you should do.

Behind-the-scenes video of Heather’s Vegas Magazine shoot:

Heather reprises her role as a Vegas stripper in The Hangover III, out May 24.