Barrett was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, but most of her early life was spent in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
After completing high school, she entered Baylor University in Waco, Texas, but she spent her final year of college at UCLA.
[citation needed] Barrett, Ford, and her future Dark Shadows co-star Jerry Lacy all appeared on stage at the Wayside Theatre in 1967.
Throughout that decade, she appeared on numerous soaps, including The Doctors, One Life to Live, and Ryan's Hope.
[4] Since his passing, she has appeared in the New York production of Francis Patrelle's The Yorkville Nutcracker, marking her ballet debut.