Born in Valley Stream, New York, she began her acting career on stage before transitioning to film and television. She gained critical acclaim for her role in the 1985 film "Desert Hearts," where she portrayed a groundbreaking lesbian character, earning her a spot as a notable figure in LGBTQ+ cinema history. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, she appeared in various films and TV shows, balancing her career with personal life and motherhood, and later focused on teaching and community work.