Barone was born September 25, 1964, in
St. Louis,
Missouri. She earned her
BFA from the
University of Detroit in 1986, followed by an
MFA, theatre, Barone appeared in the fourth-season
Seinfeld episode "
The Shoes" as Gail Cunningham, a chef who wants
Elaine Benes' shoes. In the early 1990s, she was a regular cast member of
Carol & Company with actress
Carol Burnett. Barone also played
Carol Willick,
Ross Geller's ex-wife, in the character's first appearance in
Friends. She left the show as she wanted to pursue a more full-time role and was replaced by
Jane Sibbett. She starred on
The Jeff Foxworthy Show for the first season (1995–1996) and in
The War at Home from 2005 to 2007. In 2000, Barone also co-starred in the sitcom
Daddio. Barone's other television credits include
Curb Your Enthusiasm,
Quantum Leap,
Empty Nest,
Chicago Hope,
Castle,
Do Not Disturb,
Ally McBeal,
Caroline in the City,
Party of Five and
The Larry Sanders Show. In 2004, she was the recipient of the 2005 Methodfest Best Supporting Actress Award for her work in feature film,
One Last Ride. In 2010, three years after
The War at Home ended its run, Barone began her recurring role in the
Disney Channel sitcom
Shake It Up as Officer Georgia Jones, the mother of
Bella Thorne's character CeCe Jones. Barone's husband, actor
Matthew Glave, guest starred in two episodes of
Shake It Up as J.J. Jones, the ex-husband of Barone's character. ==Personal life==