She was born in New York, the daughter of dancers Isabel Mirrow (1928-2014) and Kelly Kingman Brown (1928-1981).
At the age of seven she began dancing, and trained at her father's studio in Arizona, along with her brother Ethan and her sister Elizabeth.
In 1977, a film based on her family, The Turning Point was created by Nora Kaye and Herbert Ross.
[citation needed] Gelsey Kirkland was cast to play Emilia, but after Kirkland dropped out due to substance abuse issues as well as a dislike of the script, Ross cast Browne in the role, believing that she could play a fictionalized version of herself.
She also appeared on the television series Happy Days as a special guest star as a dancer-girlfriend of Fonzie's.