An American actress, poet and writer. She was born on December 30, 1942 in New York City. She was raised in a Jewish family and attended public schools in Queens and Staten Island. She graduated from Bennington College, having studied art, modern dance, and literature with Howard Nemeroff and Bernard Malamud. She starred in George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead (1968), Jersey Girl (2004), Red State (2011).