As a child, Owen performed traditional Maori songs and dances for tourists. While earning a nursing degree, she continued to perform in theatrical productions including "South Pacific" and "Calamity Jane". In the early 1980s, Owen moved to London to pursue acting but got sidetracked in the party and drug scene. Arrested for possession of heroin, she served an eight-month sentence in a women's prison. Once released from jail, she concentrated her attention on her acting career, appearing in stage productions. Her first feature role was a small part in Kevin Reynolds' overblown "Rapa Nui"
