Her first starring role on television came when she was cast as the lead in the British comedy drama The Book Group.

In her native United States, Dudek has since guest starred on other TV shows, including Desperate Housewives (as Karl Mayer's girlfriend in Season 1), How I Met Your Mother (as 'Nathalie', Ted's Krav Maga-trained ex-girlfriend), Friends (as 'Precious', Mike Hannigan's girlfriend), ER (as a mother who accidentally shot her son), Charmed, Bones (as Seeley Booth's lawyer girlfriend), Numb3rs, and Six Feet Under.

She also played Lucinda Barry in the pilot episode of Psych, and a teacher who has a sexual relationship with one of her students (based on the case of Debra Lafave) on Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

[7] Dudek appeared in several episodes of the HBO series Big Love as a child bride.

Dudek later appeared in Mad Men as next-door neighbor Francine Hanson, and on Big Love as one of antagonist Alby Grant's wives, both recurring roles.

In 2015, Dudek played villainess Dawn Lin in an episode of NCIS: New Orleans, and also made a guest appearance in the fifth-season finale of Rizzoli & Isles.