Meredith Salenger was born and raised in Malibu, California, the daughter of Dottie, an interior designer, and Gary Salenger, a dentist. As a child, she enjoyed performing in front of her family and friends. When she was eight years old, her mother took her to an acting class and Meredith found her calling. Her first role was a small part as a "singing and dancing orphan" in the feature film "Annie" (1982), directed by John Huston. Then came Meredith's first starring role in the Disney film, "The Journey of Natty Gann" (1985), which was the first American movie to win the gold award at the Moscow Film Festival. This film also garnered Meredith "Best Actress in a Drama" at the Youth in Film Awards for her wonderful portrayal of the tomboyish Natty Gann. Her other credits include "A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon," "Dream A Little Dream," "Lake Placid," "Daredevil," "Village of the Damned," "Race to Witch Mountain," "Jake Squared," "Mad," "Hollywood Heights," "24," and "Star Wars: The Clone Wars," where she voiced Barriss Offee.