Cynthia Nixon is a star of the stage and screen. Now, she's giving the political arena a shot.

"Governor Cuomo is shortchanging the children of New York State," Nixon said on "The View" in April of last year. "He's not against public schools, but he doesn't like to pay for them."

Nixon has never run for public office, but she has been an education activist for years, taking frequent shots at the man she's running against, Governor Andrew Cuomo. 

"Governor Cuomo likes to say we spend more per pupil than any other state, and that is actually true. But the only reason that is true is because we spend so much on the wealthiest kids in our districts," she said on the TODAY Show in August of last year.

Her fame will give her candidacy a big boost from the outset and guarantee lots of cameras and coverage. But it also has potential downsides. Cuomo's supporters may point to President Donald Trump and warn New Yorkers against electing celebrities to higher office.

The governor's allies are also sure to play up Nixon's close ties to Mayor Bill de Blasio and may attempt to portray her as his puppet. She supported de Blasio for mayor, and de Blasio's former campaign manager and a former communications adviser are both on Nixon's campaign team. Nixon's wife also worked for the de Blasio administration, but recently stepped down.

"One of the remarkable things about Mayor de Blasio is, he's a truly progressive candidate, guy, mayor, but he's also an extremely savvy politician. That's a unique combination," Nixon said in 2013.

A Siena College poll out Monday showed Cuomo with a 47-point lead over Nixon in a Democratic primary, but the poll was released before she had declared her candidacy.