She attended the Bank Street School for Children, followed by Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School in New York City, graduating in 1980. She started dancing with the American Ballet Theatre at age six and was planning to make it a full-time career. However, she gave up dance in favor of acting full-time, then she started studying acting with acting teacher Harold Guskin. At age 12 she wrote a book, "She Was Nice to Mice". The book was published by McGraw-Hill Education and became a best-seller. On June 19, 1975, she appeared on the game show "To Tell the Truth".