Aileen Marie Quinn was born on June 28, 1971, in Yardley, Pennsylvania, and raised in Far Hills, New Jersey. She is the oldest child of Helen Ann Quinn and Andrew Quinn Sr., and has a younger brother named Andrew Quinn Jr. Aileen began dance lessons at the age of four and was introduced to show business by her mother, who was a TV, radio, and stage singer/actress before becoming an elementary school teacher.

Her first show was "Annie Get Your Gun," where she won a role after begging to audition. Her breakthrough came when she was cast as the title character in the 1982 film "Annie," a role that earned her two Golden Globe Award nominations and a win for "Best Actress" from the Youth in Film Awards.

Despite the film's success, she did not star in any sequels as originally planned. She continued to perform in regional theater, taking on lead roles in productions such as "The Wizard of Oz," "Bye Bye Birdie," and "Shenandoah."

After a successful child acting career, Aileen Quinn decided to focus on her education and graduated from Drew University in 1994 with a degree in Spanish and a minor in Political Science. She spent six months living in Chile as part of an exchange program, which she considers one of the most rewarding experiences of her life. She returned to the stage after graduation, performing in various Broadway National Tours and off-Broadway shows.

In 2011, she moved to Los Angeles but kept a home in New York. She formed a Rockabilly, Swing, Blues Band called "Aileen Quinn and the Leapin' Lizards," which released their debut album "Spin Me" in 2015.