Carter was a dedicated dancer and took part in various school plays including The Wizard of Oz, in which she played Dorothy. She was also a member of the debate team, which allowed her to travel all over the world. After graduation she took a year off to see Europe, then joined Ryerson Theatre School in Toronto, where she was discovered while performing a monologue. Carter quickly landed her first guest appearance in the series Wolf Lake (2001) and followed that up with a turn in Dark Angel (2000). She then went on to guest in the series Undeclared (2001).

Making the leap to the big screen, Carter was cast in the psychological thriller Mindstorm (2001) starring Eric Roberts, Michael Ironside and Antonio Sabato Jr.. She played the kidnapped daughter of a senator whose abduction ultimately unravels her dark hidden life. Carter can also be seen in Final Destination 2 (2003). In her spare time, Carter likes to indulge in her first passion - dance. She also likes to practice yoga, curl up with a good book and go to the movies. Another passion is teaming up with her father, who is a minister, to distribute food to the needy. Although she resides in Los Angeles, she relocated to Vancouver to film the series Black Sash (2003). She is currently filming the horror/thriller film, Skinwalkers, where she will play a werewolf.

Arguably, Carter's most famous role is that of Alicia Baker, a krypto-mutant who can teleport at will and is obsessed with Clark Kent, on the WB Network TV series Smallville. She first appeared in the Season 3 episode "Obsession", and reprised the role in two back-to-back Season 4 episodes, "Unsafe" and "Pariah".

Carter will appear in the upcoming legal drama Shark, which is directed by Spike Lee. The CBS show will also star James Woods and Jeri Ryan.