Connie Ray studied dance at East Carolina University. She earned an MFA in acting from Ohio University. Known for her screen and stage work, she is also a writer. She presently splits her time between Los Angeles and New York. Her film and television highlights include The Torkelsons (1991), Hope Floats (1998), Idle Hands (1999), Stuart Little (1999), About Schmidt (2002), Ice Princess (2005), Thank You for Smoking (2005), The Big C (2013)_, and Grays's Anatomy (2014)_. As a playwright, she penned the "Smoke on the Mountain" trilogy - numbering among the most produced musicals in America for the last twenty five years.