Notable for her performances in the 1980s films Stealing Heaven and Great Expectations, as well as for her recurring roles of Faye Lamb and Naomi Woods in the respective television series Emmerdale and The Bill, she is also known for her stage work, which includes London productions of King Lear, Uncle Vanya, and An Ideal Husband.
Before launching her acting career, she trained at London's Central School of Speech and Drama.
In the first decade of the 21st century, she earned a philosophy, history, and politics degree from the University of London.
Raised in Surrey, England, by an Irish-born mother and a Scottish-born father, she later lived and worked in London, England.
She co-starred with Nicholas Clay in the early 1990s BBC series Virtual Murder.