Daughter of Marshelline "Marshie" (Patton), a Broadway actress, and Raymond Charles Arthur Purl, an actor. Her paternal grandmother, Beatrice Saville, co-founded the Actors' Equity Association.
Attended high school at Wykeham Rise School for Girls in the Arts in Washington, Connecticut. After attending Finch College, she went to England to study under Marguerite Beale.