After college, taught high-school drama in Kansas before moving to New York, where she modeled and studied acting with Uta Hagen; later relocated to Los Angeles to hone her skills with acting teacher Charles Conrad
In addition to a prolific acting career, is also a motivational speaker, radio-show host, drama coach and the author of several memoirs and self-help books, including Conscious Creation: Directing Energy to Get the Life You Want (2010) and Bright Light: Spiritual Lessons From a Life in Acting (2011)
Thanks to her long list of horror-film credits, including The Hills Have Eyes (1977) and The Howling (1981), is a popular figure at genre conventions