Started acting at age 8; first professional job was the title role in Annie
After high school, she polished her skills in Chicago with the Second City troupe and Piven Theatre Workshop, appearing in dozens of stage productions before moving to Los Angeles
Crowned Miss Chicago in 1994, and was first runner-up in the Miss Illinois pageant
Sang on Kenny Rogers' annual Christmas concert tour in 1995, where she became friends with fellow singer Sean Hayes (Will & Grace)
Made her TV debut in 1996 on the CBS soap The Bold and the Beautiful
In 2011, she published a comedic memoir titled Jock Itch: The Misadventures of a Retired Jersey Chaser, which details her history of dating pro athletes along with her bitter 2009 divorce from NFL running back Jim Finn