Won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance for her starring role in "Welcome to the Dollhouse"

Attended BOCES Cultural Arts Center for musical theatre.

September 1999 - Heather flunked the written part of her driving test - missing 11 of 20 questions.

In April 2005, she was the keynote speaker at the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network of Boston's 15th annual conference, at Brookline High School, where she described her struggle to gain acceptance of her sexuality. "It was such a burden, because I had to pretend to be this person that I wasn't."

Became great friends with Anne Hathaway during the shooting of The Princess Diaries (2001). They still call each other frequently and hope to be friends for the rest of their lives.

Her homemaker mom, Camille, and dad Ray - a data processor - live in Long Island.

She is of completely Irish descent, and was adopted by an Italian American family (hence her surname).

Turned down reprising the role of Dawn Wiener in Palindromes (2004).