From a young age, Tracy was determined to pursue a career in acting. Although her height presented challenges—making her feel she was too tall for on-stage roles—she remained dedicated to refining her expressions and acting abilities. While attending Cherry Creek High School, she participated in theater on the technical crew due to her stature. She later graduated from Plano Senior High School in Plano, Texas.

After high school, Tracy traveled through Europe and Australia before returning to the United States. She then moved to Los Angeles to study acting and launch her professional career.

Acting Debut and Breakthrough Roles

Tracy Needham's first television appearance was in 1988 on the crime drama series Jake and the Fatman. Shortly after, she secured a recurring role on the sitcom Coach from 1989 to 1990. Her breakout role came in 1990 when she joined the cast of the family drama Life Goes On as Paige Thatcher, a role she played from the show's second season until it ended in 1993.

From 1995 to 1996, Tracy portrayed Lieutenant Junior Grade Meg Austin in the first season of the military legal drama JAG. Her athletic childhood—where she often played football with boys—helped inform her performance as a tough and capable Navy officer, a role for which she received positive attention.

Work in Science Fiction and Independent Projects

Between 1995 and 1997, Tracy appeared as Samantha Bloom in the sci-fi series VR.5. In 1997, she played Ellie Jones in Total Security and took on the role of Roxanne in the television movie Buried Alive II.

Tracy also explored producing and writing. In 1997, she created a short film called Tupperware Party, a personal project in which she served as both writer and producer. Other credits during this period include appearances in Last Stand at Saber River, Justice, The Ponder Heart, 919 Fifth Avenue, and The Pretender.