[2] Her father was a weapons officer on the USS Midway on an American air base in Japan and she went to live with him there at the age of 13.
[2] In 1982, Dunnam made her big screen debut appearing in the action film Silent Rage and later was featured in the made-for-television movie Miss All-American Beauty.
[5] Dunnam made guest appearances in a number of television series, including Magnum, P.I., Scarecrow and Mrs. King, Moonlighting, Frasier, Home Improvement, Murder, She Wrote, Chicago Hope, ER, The Practice and Boston Public.
[6] From 1987 to 1988 she played Karen Atkinson in the ABC prime time soap opera, Dynasty appearing in ten episodes.
[7] She also performed in other stage productions, off-Broadway and regional theater, include The School for Scandal, The Master Builder, The Lady's Not for Burning, The Rivals, The Importance of Being Earnest, Lost Highway, Cat's Cradle, An American Daughter, The Grapes of Wrath, Happy Days and The Lion in Winter.