Born in Manhattan, New York, Smith began her acting career at the age of six when, at her first audition, she landed a guest-starring role on an episode of Saved by the Bell: The College Years. Smith has appeared in various roles in television and films including Children of the Corn IV: The Gathering (1996), Dante's Peak (1997) with Pierce Brosnan, the ABC TV movie My Last Love (1999), the film MVP: Most Valuable Primate (2000), ER, Grounded for Life, Malcolm in the Middle, Shark, Bones, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior and NCIS. She also had three-episode stints on The Nanny and Weeds. In 1998, Smith was a series regular on the Fox sitcom Ask Harriet; the series was canceled after five episodes aired.