Raised in small Connecticut town

Created and staged elaborate multimedia anti-pollution shows in the Old Saybrook, Connecticut, school auditorium when in the third grade

Worked for NYC-based publicist Peggy Siegal

Acted in NYC stage production of "Dream House" at Cubiculo Theatre

Made uncredited film appearance as a mother in a park in "Hello Again", starring Shelley Long

Film debut as a screaming woman in "The Last Temptation of Christ" ; first credit with director Martin Scorsese

First acting role in the Scorsese-directed segment of "New York Stories"

Offered a memorable turn as a woman savagely beaten by Robert De Niro in Scorsese's remake of "Cape Fear"

First film not directed by Scorsese, Irwin Winkler's "Guilty By Suspicion", starring De Niro; Scorsese had acting role

Played only woman in the "Alive" plane crash

Wrote and directed the short film "The Perfect Woman" (debuted at the New York Film Festival and aired on Bravo cable channel)

TV debut, producing, directing, writing and hosting the documentary "Everybody Just Stay Calm--Stories in Independent Filmmaking"

Third short project as writer-director, "Boy Crazy, Girl Crazier"; won prize at the Aspen Film Festival

Garnered critical and popular attention as Matt Dillon's suspicious older sister in Gus Van Sant's "To Die For"

TV acting debut, guest appearance in an episode of the NBC police drama "Homicide: Life on the Street"

First starring feature role in Allison Anders' "Grace of My Heart"; last collaboration (to date) with Scorsese (who executive produced); picture reteamed her with Dillon, who played a character resembling Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys

Portrayed Teddy Roosevelt's wife Edith in TNT's "Rough Riders"

Supported Jennifer Aniston in "Picture Perfect", playing a corporate cutthroat

Won notice for her supporting role in "Message in a Bottle"

Played Meyer Lansky's first wife Anna in HBO movie "Lansky"

Had pivotal role in the thriller "Stir of Echoes"

Co-starred in the short-lived Fox series "Action"

Announced to make feature directorial debut with "Sorority Rule"

Co-starred in Terry Zwigoff's "Ghost World" as Roberta, a flaky art teacher

Had co-starring role in the Off-Broadway play "Surviving Grace"