Jack Nicholson's daughter has opened up about the profound influence Lara Flynn Boyle had on their family dynamic

The 34-year-old writer started by reflecting on the early memories of Lara's presence in their lives, saying: "I'll never forget the first day Lara was introduced to us children.

"She came down the outdoor staircase to join us by the pool. I remember the sun reflecting on the water, the sound of wind chimes in the trees."

The family home in Los Angeles, where the meeting took place, was a sanctuary for the young Lorraine, whose mother, Rebecca Broussard, had been in a relationship with Jack, now 87, from 1989 to 1994.

At the time, Lorraine was a child, and her father was still adjusting to his role as a parent.

Lorraine explained Jack's household was "the opposite of her mother's loud, boisterous home," with an almost "mausoleum-level quiet."

She said Jack had "a hard time connecting to us as children - though he loved beautiful women, he had no interest in playing with dolls."

It was Lara's arrival that would bridge the gap between Jack and his children, bringing a sense of warmth and fun to their home, she revealed/

Lorraine also fondly remembered how Lara - dubbed "the Mary Poppins of Mulholland Drive" - helped her through her insecurities.

She said: "Lara taught me that much like femininity, adolescence can be depressing and confusing, but it can also be full of freedom and unencumbered play."

Lara also played a pivotal role in family activities, from whitewater rafting down the Colorado River to playing games such as Parcheesi and Uno, where, as Lorraine put it, "my brother and I kamakasied ourselves so that while we wouldn't win, my father wouldn't either".

Despite the eventual end of the relationship between the actress and Jack, Lorraine remains deeply grateful for Boyle's influence.

She added: "I carry so much of her in me. When she descended from the sky with her magic carpet bag, I was still figuring out the type of woman I wanted to be. In Lara, I saw characteristics that I liked - her irreverent sense of humour, her refusal to conform, her compassion for the underdog - and made them my own."