Early life

Barron was born in New York City, New York. Her mother, Joyce McCord, is a stage actress. Her father, Robert Weeks Barron, was a director of commercials and a Congregationalist church pastor; Robert founded The Weist-Barron School of Television, the first commercial and soap opera acting for television school in the world. Barron has a sister named Allison. She is a fifth generation entertainer. Her grandfather was an opera singer, and her mother moved from Alabama to become an actress.

Career

Barron's sister, Allison, had been doing TV commercials at a young age, and Barron told her father that she wished to do the same. She began acting at age 10, doing TV commercials as well. By age 11, she was appearing with Christine Baranski in Hide and Seek on Broadway. Her first film was the horror film He Knows You're Alone, with Tom Hanks, which was also Hanks' first film.

In 1983, Barron starred in the Chevy Chase comedy National Lampoon's Vacation, originating the role of Audrey Griswold. The film became a classic, and Barron would reprise the role 20 years later in the NBC TV movie spinoff, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure.

Barron received a Daytime Emmy Award in 1989 for her appearance in the CBS after-school special No Means No. Barron appeared on the soap opera One Life to Live from 1984 to 1985 as Michelle Boudin. She starred in the 1998 The Magnificent Seven as Casey.

She had a recurring role as Nikki Witt on the Fox series Beverly Hills, 90210, during which she was able to make her character's clothes and modify her lines. The role won her the Youth in Film Award for as best recurring actress.

In 1992, she starred with JoBeth Williams and Chris Burke in the NBC movie Jonathan: The Boy Nobody Wanted. Barron has made guest appearances on TV shows including The Equalizer, In the Heat of the Night, Murder, She Wrote, and Babylon 5 as a telepath named Lauren Ashley in the Season 5 episode "The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father".

Personal life

Barron is in a long term relationship with writer/director/producer Michael Vickerman. They have a son, Taylor.

Filmography

Feature films

Year	Title	Role
1980	He Knows You're Alone	Diane Jensen
1983	National Lampoon's Vacation	Audrey Griswold
1985	Heaven Help Us	Janine
1987	Death Wish 4: The Crackdown	Erica Sheldon
1988	Heartbreak Hotel	Beth Devereux
1994	Magic Kid 2	Maggie Patterson
1997	City of Industry	Gena
2000	The Perfect Nanny	Fawn Lewis
	Python	Kristin
2001	Night Class	Heather
2003	National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure	Audrey Griswold
2005	McBride: Murder Past Midnight	Marta Arnack
2006	National Lampoon's Pucked	Tiny
2010	The Invited	Kristy
	happythankyoumoreplease	The Gynecologist

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1983	The Brass Ring	Darlene	Movie
1984	One Life to Live	Michelle Boudin
1985	The Equalizer	Melinda
1987	Crossbow	Eleanor	52 appearances
1988	CBS Schoolbreak Special	Megan Wells
1989	In the Heat of the Night	Corrie Kroller	1 episode
1992	Beverly Hills, 90210	Nikki Witt	Recurring role, 9 episodes
1998	Babylon 5	Lauren Ashley	"The Corps Is Mother, the Corps Is Father"
1998-2000	The Magnificent Seven	Casey Wells	Recurring role, 6 episodes
2012	Naughty or Nice	Brenda Weir	Movie

[ Source: Wikipedia ]