Lisa grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, where she started her career as a news reporter. She attended the prestigious Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York, but was pulled toward acting while studying for her Masters degree.
While under a contract with Ford Models, she studied acting with The Barrow Group in New York City with Lee Brock and Seth Barrish, and Improvisation with Gary Austin, the original director of The Groundlings, the sketch comedy theater and springboard for dozens of "Saturday Night Live" (1975) alums.
When she booked a role in The Siege (1998) , directed by Edward Zwick, she was completely cut out of the movie, but she continued acting, appearing in dozens of TV commercials and later in The Stepford Wives (2004) .
She gets cast as elegant or powerful female characters, as well as quirky comedic roles, appearing in "Ugly Betty" (2006) , the indie film, Blumenthal (2012), and the stuttering, awkward lead character role in the off-Broadway comedy, "All In The Timing: The Universal Language" produced at The Connely Theater as a benefit for the Victims of 9/11.