Barrett was first introduced to American audiences via MTV's "The Real World" (1992). She was named one of People's "The 50 Most Beautiful People in the World" list, and her visibility led to acting work beginning with a role in the horror film Campfire Tales (1997). Since then, Barrett has made guest appearances on various TV shows and has shared the silver screen with some of Hollywood's finest stars including Nicole Kidman, Anthony Hopkins, Robert Patrick, Ed Harris, Renée Zellweger, Gary Sinise and Hugh Grant.