Hinkle played Juliet in Romeo and Juliet opposite Jean Stapleton playing the Nurse at the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington DC from January 25 to March 13, 1994 at the Lansburgh Theatre in Washington DC. On Broadway, Hinkle played Kuroko and was understudy for Miranda in The Tempest from November 1, 1995 to December 31, 1995 at the Broadhurst Theatre. She played Sandra Markowitz in A Thousand Clowns from July 14, 1996 to August 10, 1996 at the Criterion Center Stage Right. She also played Chrysothemis in Electra from December 3, 1998 to March 21, 1999 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. Hinkle started her TV career on the soap opera Another World. She also portrayed Judy Brooks on ABC’s drama series Once and Again from 1999 to 2002. Hinkle starred on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men with Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, Angus T. Jones and later Ashton Kutcher as Alan’s (Cryer) neurotic ex-wife, Judith. Despite being a main cast member, she rarely made appearances after the show’s eighth season. She was quietly phased out of the series, and her last appearances as a regular were in the ninth season of the series. She made only one appearance each in the last three seasons, though she was still credited as a regular. This may have been due to commitments to her new role as Samantha Bowers in the NBC drama series Deception with Tate Donovan, Victor Garber and Katherine LaNasa.