Marla Sokoloff was born on December 19, 1980, in San Francisco, California, to Cindi (née Sussman) and Howard Sokoloff, a former caterer and podiatrist. She moved to Los Angeles in 1994 and enrolled in the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, where she studied theater and music.

Marla Sokoloff began her acting career at the age of 12 when she was cast as Gia Mahan in the popular ABC sitcom "Full House." She was originally considered for the role of Topanga Lawrence on "Boy Meets World," but the part was later given to Danielle Fishel.

Marla Sokoloff gained widespread recognition for her role as Lucy Hatcher on the legal drama television series "The Practice" (1998-2004). She also appeared in films such as "True Crime" (1996), "Dude, Where's My Car?" (2000), "Sugar & Spice" (2001), and "Love on the Side" (2004).

She made guest appearances on several popular TV shows, including "Friends," "Desperate Housewives," and "Grey's Anatomy."

In addition to acting, she is also a singer and guitarist. She released her debut album "Grateful" in 2006 and continues to perform at various venues in Los Angeles. Marla dated actor James Franco for five years after they met on the set of "Whatever It Takes" in 1999.

She later married Deadsy drummer Alec Puro in 2009, and they have three daughters together.