A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Gema--like castmate Zach Bennett--is part of a performing family. Her twin siblings, Dominic and Amanda, are actors, and her father Lou is a professional director and dance choreographer, and helps run Hamilton's Theatre Aquarius. Gema also started acting at a young age, appearing on various TV series like Friday the 13th: The Series and others. Her first leading role came in 1989's The Challengers, where she played a girl who dressed as a boy to get recognition.

A year later, she landed the role of Felicity on Road to Avonlea, a role which snagged her two Gemini nominations in 1991 and 1994, and a role she may not have gotten had Tara Meyer--who was originally cast as Felicity and later played the role of Sally Potts--not needed to give up the part. Gema also played the female lead in Sullivan's production of By Way of the Stars, and has appeared in theatre productions of West Side Story and Winnie the Pooh. In 1995, she took time off Road to Avonlea to attend Queen's University full time. During that time, she helped produce a student film called Rogue, as well as acted in theatre productions of Our Country's Good and Not Wanted on the Voyage. She graduated with a Bachelor's in Drama.

In 1998, she returned as Felicity in Happy Christmas, Miss King. A year later, she had a supporting role opposite Noah Wyle in the telefilm Pirates of Silicon Valley, as well as one in the Canadian feature Johnny; plus, in 2001 she had a small role in the TV movie Jewel; and in late 2002 she had a guest starring role in an episode of PAX's TV series Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye (the episode is called "The Fugitive"). She also continues to thrive in the theatre community. In the winter of 2000 she was in a production of Sweet Phoebe; and during the summer of 2001 she choreographed her father's production of Bugsy Malone. She taught for a time at Hamilton's Theatre Aquarius, where her father heads up the Performing Arts department. She's also performed in a production of Picasso at the Lapin Agile for TA.

Now, she is a founding member of Theatrefront as an actress and choreographer. She is also married with two children, and runs her own Pilates-and-acting studio in Burlington called Studio Technique.