Daughter of television writer Pat Dunlop, she began as a child actress in the 1970s featuring in a BBC version of the classic "A Little Princess" and as Lydia Holly in the ITV adaptation of "South Riding". She studied at the Arts Educational Schools Her transition to adult roles began by playing Lizzie Hexam in a BBC version of Charles Dickens' "Our Mutual Friend" in 1976 and featuring in the very first series of the long-running hospital drama "Angels". Dunlop was cast alongside Diana Rigg and Elizabeth Taylor in the film version of Stephen Sondheim's "A Little Night Music" (1977), and appeared in Roman Polanski's "Tess" (1979). The following year she played Nora, the nurse who is at first terrified by "The Elephant Man" and then befriends John Hurt's character in David Lynch's 1980 Oscar nominated film. She also appeared in the horror anthology film "The Monster Club" (1981) as Luna, the human ghoul who befriends Stuart Whitman.