Hatcher revealed to Vanity Fair that she was sexually abused from the age of five by Richard Hayes Stone, an uncle by marriage who was later divorced by Hatcher's aunt. Her parents said she was unaware of the abuse at the time.
Hatcher studied acting at American Conservatory Theater. One of her early jobs in 1984 was as an NFL cheerleader with the San Francisco 49ers. She made a guest appearance in Star Trek: The Next Generation as Lt. Robinson. In 1989, she guest starred in an episode of Quantum Leap titled "Star Crossed".
