Madigan was born in Chicago, the daughter of John J. Madigan (1918–2012), a well-known journalist who gave political commentary on shows such as Meet the Press and Face the Nation, and worked for Newsweek. He interviewed a range of political figures, from Richard Nixon to Martin Luther King Jr., and hosted his own show with WBBM (AM). Her mother was Dolores (née Hanlon; 1921–92), an administrative assistant and amateur actress who performed in community theatre. She has two brothers, Jack and Jim.\n', '

Madigan attended Aquinas Dominican High School in Chicago and performed in school plays. In the 1960s, she studied piano at the Chicago Conservatory of Music, and went on to graduate from Marquette University with a degree in philosophy. She moved to Los Angeles in 1974. Madigan later studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute.\n', '

In the 1970s, Madigan pursued a career as a musician, singing lead vocals for the band Jelly, whose only album, A True Story (1977), was released by Asylum Records. Madigan appeared in Playboy (June 1978) nude and covered in jelly, to promote her band. She toured across the United States performing for several bands throughout the late 1970s.\n', '

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