Born in Sparks, Nevada, Malone spent her early life there and in Las Vegas, while her mother acted in local theater productions. Inspired to become an actress herself, Malone convinced her mother to relocate to Los Angeles. After auditioning for several projects, Malone was cast by Anjelica Huston in her television film "Bastard Out of Carolina" (1996), for which she earned numerous accolades, including Screen Actors Guild and Independent Spirit Award nominations. She subsequently obtained roles in the major studio productions "Contact" (1997) and "Stepmom" (1998), for the former of which she earned a Saturn Award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.