

In 1997, Syme made her film debut in a small role credited as "junkie girl" in David Lynch's Lost Highway. She was also a personal assistant to guitarist Dave Navarro of Jane's Addiction and, later, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Syme later joined the staff of a music label. Syme also did some acting, and Scott Coffey directed her in five independent short films, the last one, Ellie Parker, was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2001. She introduced Lynch to many of the musicians he used in his projects, and according to Coffey, she had a huge influence on the music in the 1997 film Lost Highway. Syme landed a job at Lynch's company, Asymmetrical Productions, where she started as an intern and ended up working at for five years. "She was a huge fan and wanted to do anything on Twin Peaks", Coffey said.

Actor and filmmaker Scott Coffey said that Syme was 16 years old when she walked into Lynch's office. When Syme was about to start high school, she and her mother moved to Los Angeles, where Syme developed a passion for moviemaking and especially for David Lynch's films. John and Charles Syme, a retired California highway patrol officer, and they divorced some time after Syme was born. Syme was born in Pico Rivera, California, and was raised in Laguna Beach.
