The child of a British mother and an Argentinian father, she grew up speaking both English and Spanish
While studying literature in college, she discovered a love of acting
Came to the attention of U
S
audiences in a raunchy 2003 NBC comedy, Coupling, which was based on a British sitcom, and in 2006 when she took on the role of Penny Widmore on the ABC hit Lost
Interestingly, she told ign
com, during a discussion of her work on Lost, that while fan interest in the series fascinated her, "I don't watch the show; I don't watch TV
" Portrayed David Frost's sultry girlfriend in the acclaimed 2007 Broadway production of Frost/Nixon opposite Frank Langella and Michael Sheen
Was cast in the role of a beleaguered wife in two HBO series, the Mind of the Married Man (2001-02) and the racy Tell Me You Love Me (2007)