Erin was born on October 9th (she chooses to keep the year to herself - always the lady).  Erin grew up in St. Louis, MO where she attended Clayton High School. She graduated from Vassar College with a degree in architecture and art history.

In 2002, The St. Louis Film Festival awarded Erin the Emerging Star Award. She appeared in One Hour Photo, Wheelmen, and House of 1000 Corpses before taking on the role of Dana Fairbanks in Showtime's The L Word.

When asked by AfterEllen.com's Sarah Warn, if she were concerned about how playing a lesbian would reflect on her ability to get future roles - matter-of-factly she stated, "No, Not even remotely." Because you think people don't care? "Because I don't care. I don't pick roles based on how famous they are going to make me, I pick roles based on how they're going to inspire me intellectually."