She is known for her roles as Amy in the 2008 film Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins and as Peach Landis in the CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls.
She is of Italian, Irish and Portuguese descent and grew up in Fairfield and New Haven, Connecticut, and several other towns in the state.
[5] While at Yale she majored in English literature and was a member of the "Arts and Letters" Manuscript Society.
[4][5] Lyons then became interested in acting, receiving her first speaking role in the Neil Simon play Rumors.
[5] Beginning in 2004, Lyons appeared in the television series American Dreams, That's So Raven, The Starter Wife, and Desperate Housewives, and has had recurring roles in 2 Broke Girls, The Affair, and Jane by Design.