Born in Norman, Oklahoma, to Ella (née Padberg) and Thomas Clark, a chef, she grew up in Fort Worth, Texas.

[3] Clark's first acting role was the character of Faye in John Huston's film Fat City (1972).

She also starred or acted in American Graffiti (1973), The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), The Big Sleep (1978), Q (1982), Blue Thunder (1983), Amityville 3-D (1983), Cat's Eye (1985) and At Close Range (1986) and played the role of Francine Hewitt in The Blob (1988).

In 2011, Clark went to Berlin to work on the play Images of Louise Brooks, directed by Sven Mundt.

Clark appeared on Ken Reid's TV Guidance Counselor podcast on January 20, 2017.