Meredith Salenger was born and raised in Malibu, California, the daughter of Dottie, an interior designer, and Gary Salenger, a dentist. As a child, she enjoyed performing in front of her family and friends. When she was eight years old, her mother took her to an acting class and Meredith found her calling. Her first role was a small part as a "singing and dancing orphan" in the feature film Annie (1982), directed by John Huston. Then came Meredith's first starring role in the Disney film, The Journey of Natty Gann (1985), which was the first American movie to win the gold award at the Moscow Film Festival. This film also garnered Meredith "Best Actress in a Drama" at the Youth in Film Awards for her wonderful portrayal of the tomboyish Natty Gann. After starring in four more films by the time she was eighteen years old, Meredith left Hollywood for Harvard to further her education. From 1988 until 1992, Salenger attended the university and graduated cum laude with a degree in Psychology which proved she was not only beautiful and talented, but extremely intelligent. Upon her return to Hollywood, Meredith resumed her acting career. Her recent credits include: Lake Placid (1999), The Third Wheel (2002), and an independent film called My Best Friend's Wife (2001). Salenger has appeared in several other independent films including Quality Time (2008) and Sparkle and Charm (1997).