Pierce was a reclusive first lady, spending the first two years of her husband's presidency mourning her son. Her duties at this time were often fulfilled by Abby Kent-Means.
Na televizních obrazovkách se poprvé objevila na stanici PBS v seriálu Kybernetická honička. V roce 2008 si zahrála v Broadwayském produkci muzikálu Passing Strange.