玛丽·凯瑟琳·歌瑞森，Mary Catherine Garrison was borm in Clarksdale, Mississippi and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her acting training began in high school at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). She then received her BFA in acting at university of Evansville. She then received her MFA in acting at University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in 1999.