Lacke was raised in Eau Claire, WI, north of Milwaukee. Her parents saw her potential and allowed her to audition for different acting parts, and Lacke caught the acting “bug” after portraying a bee in a local musical. When her family moved to the northern suburbs of Chicago before her freshman year of high school, she saw it as an opportunity to fulfill her dream of becoming an actress. Lacke performed in various high school productions; and during her senior year, she auditioned for the prestigious Acting School of DePaul University. Lacke soon discovered she was pregnant with her son Charlie, took a year off school, and entered the DePaul program the following year. After four years of commuting, she graduated at the top of her class with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a young son in tow.