E' nata il 15 giugno del 1975 a Bloomfield, Michigan e voleva fare l'attrice fin da bambina. Madre casalinga e padre insegnante. Ha frequentato la Juilliard School. Ha fatto la sua prima comparsa presso il grande pubblico in alcune opere teatrali a Londra.
Fa altre importanti comparse presso i film Stay - Nel labirinto della mente e La neve nel cuore; e riceve numerosi premi ed altre importanti nomination. Altre celebri interpretazioni sono nelle serie televisive Desperate Housewives e The West King. Infine a partire dal 2007 è entrata nel cast di Grey's Anatomy e nel 2008 in quello di Twilight.

Filmografia
Against the Current (2009) (completed) - Liz Clarke
"The Ex List" - Bella Bloom (8 episodes, 2008-2009)
- Episode #1.12 (2009) TV episode - Bella Bloom
- The Spark (2009) TV episode - Bella Bloom
- Do You Love Me, Do You Surfer- Boy (2008) TV episode - Bella Bloom
- Protect and Serve (2008) TV episode - Bella Bloom
- Climb Every Mountain Biker (2008) TV episode - Bella Bloom

Twilight (2008/I) - Esme Cullen
"Wainy Days" - Annie (1 episode, 2008)
- The Waindow (2008) TV episode - Annie
"Grey's Anatomy" - Jane Doe / - (17 episodes, 2007-2008)
- Freedom (2008) TV episode - Rebecca Pope
- Losing My Mind (2008) TV episode - Rebecca Pope
- Piece of My Heart (2008) TV episode - Rebecca Pope
- Crash Into Me: Part 2 (2007) TV episode - Ava
- Crash Into Me: Part 1 (2007) TV episode - Ava
(12 more)
Purple Violets (2007)
"Standoff" - Anya Reed (1 episode, 2006)
- Heroine (2006) TV episode - Anya Reed
"Saved" - Alice Alden, M.D. / - (13 episodes, 2006)
- Crossroads (2006) TV episode - Alice Alden, M.D.
- Tango (2006) TV episode - Alice Alden, M.D.
- Code Zero (2006) TV episode - Alice Alden, MD
- A Shock to the System (2006) TV episode - Alice Alden, M.D.
- Triage (2006) TV episode - Alice Alden, M.D.
(8 more)
Puccini for Beginners (2006) - Allegra
"Law & Order: Criminal Intent" - Jillian Slaughter / - (2 episodes, 2002-2006)
- Proud Flesh (2006) TV episode - Jillian Slaughter
- The Insider (2002) TV episode - Serena Whitfield
Shut Up and Sing (2006/I) - Julep
The Family Stone (2005) - Susannah Stone Trousdale
Sweet Land (2005) - Young Inge
Stay (2005/I) - Athena
"The Jury" - Rachel Byrnes (1 episode, 2004)
- Pilot (2004) TV episode - Rachel Byrnes
Mind the Gap (2004) - Malissa Zubach
"Hack" - Elaine Jones (1 episode, 2004)
- Extreme Commerce (2004) TV episode - Elaine Jones
Emmett's Mark (2002) - Alison Holmes
Thirteen Conversations About One Thing (2001) - Young Woman in Class
The Believer (2001) Miriam
"The Sopranos" Stace (1 episode, 2000)
D-Girl (2000) TV episode Stace
Scrubs (1999) .... Molly

Fonte IMDB