McKinsey was born in McAlester, Oklahoma Aug. 9, 1935. In 1956 she graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a bachelor's degree. She was an actress for over 30 years. She began acting in New York theater. McKinsey was an understudy for the Neil Simon play "Barefoot in The Park". In the 1960s she performed the lead role several times. She played opposite Robert Redford. She played the role of Honey in the 1964 London production of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" by Edward Albee. In the late 1960s McKinsey moved to Hollywood. She made guest appearances in several television series. These included "Mannix," "The Virginian" and "Hawaii Five-O." She also played supporting roles in feature films such as "Bronco Billy" with Clint Eastwood.