Ann Magnuson was born on January 4, 1956, in Charleston, West Virginia, to a journalist mother and a lawyer father. She attended Holz Elementary and George Washington High School before graduating from Denison University in 1978.

After moving to New York City, she became a DJ and performer at Club 57 and the Mudd Club in Manhattan during the late 1970s and early 1980s. She created various characters, including Anoushka, a Soviet lounge singer, and performed with the all-girl percussion group Pulsallama. She later fronted the satirical faux-heavy metal band Vulcan Death Grip.

Ann Magnuson made her film debut in the 1981 film "Vortex" and went on to star in movies such as "The Hunger" (1983), "Making Mr. Right" (1987), "Clear and Present Danger" (1994), "Panic Room" (2002), and "One More Time" (2015).

She also appeared in the ABC sitcom "Anything but Love" from 1989 to 1992. Her eclectic career includes acting in Hollywood blockbusters, Off-Broadway plays, TV sitcoms, and indie films.

Ann Magnuson is a performance artist who has presented her original performance art pieces at various art institutions worldwide, including the Whitney Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Andy Warhol Museum.

She was inducted into the West Virginia Hall of Fame in 2018 and received an honorary doctorate from West Virginia University in 2020.

Her personal life includes her marriage to architect John Bertram in 2002. She currently lives in Los Angeles with him.