Born and raised in Portland, Oregon by a single Mom whose golden rule was “don’t talk during the movie.” We devoured films, music, and Letterman. Woodstock was required watching. My name was inspired by a Stevie Wonder song and I’m still not a morning person.

Although technically an only child, I have 5 amazing siblings. My dad is a musician who fell in love with another artist. They got married, and with three girls of her own (plus me), dad discovered a day job – audio engineering. I vividly remember the massive mixing boards and splicing out of the clicks and pops on the reel to reel.

Growing up I took all the artsy, dancing, theater classes that Portland had to offer a scrappy kid. I reckoned with not being the “school” type, went to the church of raves and skipped town by 16. After trying film school, running a halfway house, and waiting many tables – I remembered I wanted to be an actor.

I moved to New York and studied at The New Actors Workshop, a conservatory started and run by Mike Nichols, Paul Sills, and George Morrison. I met the other geeks and we dove deep, dissecting scripts and characters in that creeky midtown building with ancient elevators. We saw every show we could. We watched the Towers come down and I saw that extraordinary city and people repair themselves.

Five years later, I needed a sabbatical, so naturally I returned to Portland. I booked an infomercial, delivered an Oscar worthy performance and opened my first check. Lightbulb. I asked dad to teach me the ways of the vocal booth and something clicked. I fell crazy in love expressing myself without anyone watching. I stuck around and booked everything I could.

I quit my side hustle and vowed to make a career out of these things. I learned that all the struggle, practice, and studying actually meant I could be a working actor.

So, here I am. I live in Portland with the other middle sister and we raise our kids together. The two kiddos and two moms plus the cat and the bearded dragon make for an entertaining life.