Born in Pasadena, Texas, on Sept 16, 1963, the pageant queen was discovered by Ford Models at age 17. After living and working abroad, Walthall moved to Los Angeles and and landed her first major part in the 1984 Jerry Bruckheimer/Don Simpson thriller, "Thief of Hearts."
She appeared as Bobbi in the 1985 TV movie "A Bunny’s Tale" with Kirstie Alley, based on Gloria Steinem's undercover investigation of the working conditions at the Playboy clubs.
Walthall had significant arcs in a number of 1990s-era TV series including "Hotel Malibu" with Jennifer Lopez, "Man of The People" with James Garner, "Civil Wars" with Alan Rosenberg and on Steven Bochco's "Murder One" with Stanley Tucci.