A Los Angeles, California native, Washburn's first uncredited role was as 6-year-old Walda Kowalski in the 1950 film about a smallpox outbreak in New York City entitled, The Killer That Stalked New York. She appeared on many of the anthology series then Common on American television networks, including The Ford Television Theatre, Lux Video Theatre, Jane Wyman's Fireside Theatre, Chevron Hall of Stars, H. J. Heinz Company's Studio 57, Four Star Playhouse, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, The 20th Century Fox Hour, Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond, Shirley Temple's Storybook, and General Electric Theater, hosted by Ronald W. Reagan.