Makinson graduated from Arizona State University in 2000 with a BA in theater. She then began Sketch and improvisation work at ASU. Makinson helped build ASU's Farce Side Comedy Hour and Barren Mind into on-campus hits with her comedic skills. Soon after graduating, Makinson moved to Los Angeles, where she studied at Improv Olympic, going on to become a stand-out performer in groups like Brand X, King Ten, and The Armando Show.
In 2003, Makinson starred in a season of Comedy Central's improv/hidden camera series Trigger Happy TV before landing the role of Eleanor (the weeper) on Spike TV's 2004 reality parody Joe Schmo 2. The following year she starred in two pilots, The Hollywood Show for Comedy Central (playing a mock reporter) and The Sportsmen's News for the Outdoor Channel (playing a mock news co-anchor). In early 2007, Makinson starred in arguably her biggest role to date, Carly Barzak in the short-lived series, Halfway Home.
In December 2007, she appeared in TV commercials for Toshiba HDTV that cross-promoted the movie Shrek the Third.
Makinson also guest-starred in an episode of the Nickelodeon series iCarly entitled "iHave a Lovesick Teacher" as Miss Lauren Ackerman—Carly, Sam, and Freddie's mean and insane history Teacher - and again in "iStage an Intervention" very shortly at the end. She also appears on True Jackson, VP as a rude airline Passenger in the episode "Trapped in Paris." She also appears in Liquid Plumr's "Double Impact" commercial as an overheated shopper.
