She grew up in south Minneapolis and attended public grade school before graduating from DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis with the Class of 1984. She moved to Hollywood four days after graduating from high school and attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Along with collecting acting credits, she was a model and now is a writer and executive editor of Notably Smitten, a website where she guides people on how to shop in support of companies and individuals committed to helping others with compassion. Her parents and a brother, a firefighter, still live in the Twin Cities.
