Growing up in the proverbial shadow of the studios, California native Ann Robinson acted in grade-school plays and later fibbed her way into the movie business as a stunt woman on movies such as Black Midnight (1949), The Story of Molly X (1949), and Frenchie (1950). She was part of Paramount's golden circle of new stars in the early 1950s but had only one leading role at the studio, in producer George Pal's The War of the Worlds (1953).

In 1957, she ran off to Mexico to marry a famous matador, Jaime Bravo ("and blew my career right out of the water"). Their son Jaime Jr. became a director with ABC Sports and has won several Emmy awards. Since 1987, Robinson has been married to real estate broker Joseph Valdez. She is a fixture at sci-fi conventions and autograph shows.