Katt Shea was born in 1957 in Detroit, Michigan. She grew up in a quiet Detroit suburb and graduated from the University of Michigan with honors. Shea worked for a short spell as a teacher in the Detroit public school system. At age 19, Katt drove her Volkswagen to Hollywood, California. She did a fleeting stint as a model and briefly attended UCLA. Shea soon started acting in either small parts or more substantial co-starring roles in such movies as My Tutor (1983), Scarface (1983), Hollywood Hot Tubs (1984), Barbarian Queen (1985), and the superior slasher sequel Psycho III (1986), making an especially memorable appearance in the latter as one of Norman Bates' victims. Shea made her promising debut as both writer and director with the sexy and stylish thriller Stripped to Kill (1987). She also did the equally solid sequel. Katt's finest cinematic achievement to date was the extremely thoughtful and touching vampire horror gem Dance of the Damned (1989). The gritty drama Streets (1990) and the gripping thriller Poison Ivy (1992) were likewise excellent and impressive. Last Exit to Earth (1996) was an entertainingly cheesy sci-fi hoot while the belated and unnecessary sequel The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999) was regrettably lackluster. Shea also directed a couple of made-for-TV affairs: The poignant and powerful teen drama Sharing the Secret (2000) was a terrific return to form while the humdrum stalker outing Sanctuary (2001) was another unfortunate misstep. After a lengthy absence from the director's chair, Katt made a welcome comeback with Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019).