One of the few actors to have made guest appearances on all four of the Law & Order franchises.
She was pre-med in college. She was studying to be a surgeon and participated in college plays. After 4 years of pre-med, she decided to become an actress.
She was awarded the 1987 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actress in a Supporting Role in a Play for "The Normal Heart", at the Next Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois.
Has 3 children with her husband Lawrence Arancio: Liam, Emily and Trust Arancio.
Daughter of John and Dolores (Clark) Dowd, and one of seven children. Her grandfather, James "Kip" Dowd, was a Major League baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Dowd Agencies, an insurance company, was started by her great-grandfather.