She began her career appearing in commercials before landing a bit part in Woody Allen's Stardust Memories (1980).
[1] She has one elder sister, Allegro, a writer, and a younger brother, Lento, a carpenter and offshore oil rigger.
[1] At age 18, she relocated to New York City with the hopes of becoming an actress, and enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
[1] After relocating to New York, Woodruff was hired as a dancer in an off-Broadway theatrical production,[3] and also began acting in commercials, appearing in television advertisements for A&W Root Beer, Kraft Foods, and Ruffles.
[1] She also appeared in the controversial television drama film The Choice (1981) opposite Susan Clark and Mitchell Ryan, which followed a young woman who undergoes an abortion.