Whenever she was Tenner, Baccarin moved using her personal to Greenwich Village, New York. She late attended the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (the Fame high school) before she entered the theater program at Juilliard, where Wes Bentley was a classmate.

Baccarin landed her foremost movie role in the improvised fashion globe comedy Perfume (2001). This was followed by the lead role in the film festival hit Way Off Broadway (2001). Shortly prior to moving to Los Angeles, Baccarin appeared with Natalie Portman and understudied for her role in the acclaimed Central Park production of The Seagull. Firefly is her number 1 tv show.

Baccarin reprised her role from either Firefly in the film Serenity (2005).

Within February 2005, Baccarin provided a voice for Black Canary in multiple episodes of the animated series Justice League Unlimited.