Colleen Marie Haskell was born and raised in Bethesda, Maryland, on December 6, 1976. She attended Walter Johnson High in Bethesda, Maryland, graduating in 1994. She then went on to attend college at the University of Georgia in Athens where she was able to study abroad in London, England on a six month internship with the London Film Festival. Upon graduation in 1998, she spent two months in Ghana, West Africa followed by two months traveling in France. She worked as an intern for Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. and also did some waitressing. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and cooking, and prefers to listen to talk radio.