Vinaite was born in Lithuania and moved to Brooklyn, New York City at a young age.　　The Florida Project was Vinaite's acting debut, where she played the lead role of former stripper and single mother living at a budget motel close to Walt Disney World.[4] Baker contacted Vinaite after seeing her in an Instagram post, where she creatively documented her life so she could stay in contact with friends in New York City while living in Miami.[5] Vinaite had three weeks of acting classes from acting teacher Samantha Quan before filming began. Production wrapped in September 2016.[6]　　Vinaite has many tattoos, her first was at the age of 14.[7] She was sent to boarding school around this time. She left home at 18, choosing to develop her own career rather than attend college. At 19 she started a clothing line called ChroniCal Designs, selling marijuana themed bikinis and baseball caps.[8]