American screenwriter, producer, and former actress, born in Charleston, West Virginia on August 23, 1948. During her teenage years, she worked with Children's Theatre, Kanawha Players, and The Light Opera Guild. She graduated from George Washington High School in 1966, then moved to New York City. In the early 1970s, she gained international fame for her role in The Last House on the Left (1972). She is known for The Abductors (1972), The Doctors (1972-1977), and General Hospital (1972).