Allison was raised 20 miles south of Lake Erie, in the small rural farming town of Edinboro, Pennsylvania. At the age of 14, Allison was discovered in a doctor's office by a model scout/agent. She started modeling in Toronto and spent subsequent summers in Manhattan. After completing high school, Allison moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to study Theatre at the University of Pittsburgh. She also then spent a semester abroad studying theatre in London. Upon graduation, Allison moved to New York City where she landed roles in several Off Broadway shows. Soon after, she broke into television garnishing small roles on 'Rescue Me' opposite Dennis Leary and 'Stella' with Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter. Allison then began dividing her time between New York and Los Angeles. In 2008 Allison starred opposite Michael Madsen and Dennis Hopper in Quentin Tarantino's: 'Hell Ride'. That same year she starred opposite Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow in Jon Favreau's: 'Iron Man'. In 2010, she starred in the indie 'Bloomington', which quickly became a cult classic. Next was a recurring role starring opposite David Duchovny on Showtime's: 'Californication'; proceeded by a series regular role opposite John Schneider and Tika Sumpter on Tyler Perry's: 'The Haves and the Have Nots' on OWN.