She worked at a Roy Rogers restaurant near Woodcliff Lake, made commercials for Jordache jeans and Bold 3 detergent, and auditioned in New York City for acting jobs.

She gained further critical acclaim for her performance in Lucas (1986) starring as the center of a love triangle between the characters of Corey Haim and Charlie Sheen.

Green eventually co-founded a film production company, Independent Women Artists with Bonnie Dickenson.

With Dickenson, she co-wrote and directed the film adaptation of a play about teen pregnancy called Bellyfruit (1999).

Green took a break from acting to study art at Vassar College, where she was roommates with Marisa Tomei's brother, Adam and with video game BioShock developer Ken Levine.