Lipton's father arranged her first modeling jobs in New York while her mother encouraged her to take acting lessons. At 15, Lipton became a Ford Agency model and enjoyed a successful early career. After she and her family moved to Los Angeles in 1964, Lipton signed a contract with Universal Pictures. She made her television debut at age 19 in the NBC sitcom "The John Forsythe Show" (1965). Between 1965 and 1968, she appeared in episodes of "Bewitched", "The Virginian", "The Invaders", "The Road West", "The F.B.I.", "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour", and "Mr. Novak".