Born and raised in Pointe-Claire (a suburb of Montreal), Quebec, she made her acting debut in the drama film Vendetta (1999).

In 2021, Brugel joined the judging panel of the second season of the reality competition series Canada's Drag Race.

[11] In 1999, Brugel made her acting debut in the HBO drama film Vendetta, alongside Christopher Walken.

[15] Brugel appeared in guest or recurring roles in several television series, including Soul Food (2001), Wild Card (2004), Kojak (2005), Kevin Hill (2005), The Newsroom (2005), Paradise Falls (2008), MVP (2008), Saving Hope (2012), Flashpoint (2012), Nikita (2013), and Covert Affairs (2013).

[26] As a part of the cast, she has received three nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series.

[27] From 2019 to 2020, Brugel had a recurring role as Faith Hanlon in the USA Network teen drama series Dare Me.

[28] In 2020, she appeared as Eugenia in multiple episodes of the TNT post-apocalyptic drama series Snowpiercer, which is an adaptation of the film of the same name.

[33][34] In 2013, Brugel founded Brugs Army, a non-profit organization that focuses on improving the lives of women and children.