She studied acting at the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School in New York City. The School, located in Chelsea, was founded by David Mamet and William H. Macy, and teaches the technique "Practical Aesthetics," which Ms. Johnson uses. She is currently a member of the company at the Atlantic, and sometimes performs in shows during their season.

Went to high school in Wisconsin.Spent a large part of her teens traveling as an exchange student to Sweden and South America.Attended Whitefish Bay High School, in Whitefish Bay, an upscale, small suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Graduated with good grades in 1985.Her father is a former state senator.Dated David Newsom in 1996.Starred in the play "The Baltimore Waltz" in NYC (Dec 2004).BFA in Drama - New York University, Tisch School of the Arts (1989)She appeared on the cover of punk band Bad Religion's 1998 album "No Substance".She recently posed nude for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) to protest the treatment of carriage horses in New York City.