Known best for her starring role as Rene Jackson in the Lifetime series Any Day Now, she also had series regular roles on Saving Grace and Crossing Jordan. Her film credits include an Independent Spirit Award-nominated performance in Middle of Nowhere and a co-starring role in Dangerous Minds. After graduating from Manhattan, New York's High School of Performing Arts and from the world-famous Juilliard School, she began her career as a classical stage actress. She first appeared on screen in a 1986 television movie titled A Case of Deadly Force.