Candy Clark

Candy Clark
Clark in Handle with Care (1977)
Born
Candace June Clark

(1947-06-20) June 20, 1947 (age 77)
Norman, Oklahoma, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actress
  • model
Years active1972–present
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1978; div. 1979)​
Jeff Wald
​
​
(m. 1987; div. 1988)​

Candace June Clark[1] (born June 20, 1947)[2] is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as Debbie Dunham in the 1973 film American Graffiti, for which she received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and her role as Mary Lou in the 1976 film The Man Who Fell to Earth.

Early life

Born in Norman, Oklahoma, to Ella (née Padberg) and Thomas Clark, a chef, she grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. She attended Green B. Trimble Technical High School.[3]

Career

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).

She appeared in the 2009 film The Informant! as the mother of Mark Whitacre, played by Matt Damon. In 2011, Clark went to Berlin to work on the play Images of Louise Brooks, directed by Sven Mundt.

Along with her film work, she also has made guest appearances on television series, including Dating Game, Magnum, P.I., Banacek, Simon & Simon, Matlock, Baywatch Nights, Criminal Minds, and Twin Peaks: The Return.

Clark appeared on Ken Reid's TV Guidance Counselor podcast on January 20, 2017.[4]

Personal life

Clark dated Jeff Bridges for several years after they met on the set of Fat City in 1972.[5] She was married to Marjoe Gortner from 1978 to 1979.[6] She married Jeff Wald in 1987 and divorced him in 1988.[7]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1972 Fat City Faye Murdock
1973 American Graffiti Debbie Dunham Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
1976 I Will, I Will... for Now Sally Bingham
1976 The Man Who Fell to Earth Mary-Lou
1977 Handle with Care Pam "Electra" Armbruster
1978 The Big Sleep Camilla Sternwood
1979 When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder? Cheryl
1979 More American Graffiti Debbie Dunham
1982 National Lampoon's Movie Madness Susan Cooper "Growing Yourself"
1982 Q Joan
1983 Blue Thunder Kate
1983 Hambone and Hillie Nancy Rollins
1983 Amityville 3-D Melanie
1985 Cat's Eye Sally Ann Cressner
1986 At Close Range Mary Sue Whitewood
1988 The Blob Fran Hewitt
1988 Blind Curve Mimi
1991 Cool as Ice Grace Winslow
1992 Deuce Coupe Jean Fitzpatrick
1992 Original Intent Jessica Cameron Video
1992 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Joyce Summers
1997 Niagara, Niagara Sally
2000 Cherry Falls Marge Marken
2002 The Month of August Tina
2007 Zodiac Carol Fisher
2008 Dog Tags Deb Merritt
2009 The Informant! Mrs. Whitacre
2009 Cry of the Mummy Jane Torquemada Short
2011 Bob's New Suit Aunt Tootie
2016 Cold Moon Evelyn Larkin
2018 5 Weddings Claudia Burrell

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1972 Room 222 Andrea "The Witch of Whitman High"
1973 The New Perry Mason Julie Potter "The Case of the Prodigal Prophet"
1973 Banacek Gretel "No Stone Unturned"
1973–74 Insight Ginny "Celebration in Fresh Powder", "Ginny"
1974 The New Dick Van Dyke Show Pamela Sherry "The Hickey"
1976 James Dean Chris White TV film
1979 Amateur Night at the Dixie Bar and Grill Sharee TV film
1980 Where the Ladies Go Charlene TV film
1980 Rodeo Girl J.R. Patterson TV film
1982 Faerie Tale Theatre Queen Gwynneth "The Tale of the Frog Prince"
1982 Johnny Belinda Julie Sayles TV film
1983 Cocaine and Blue Eyes Ruthann Gideon TV film
1984 I Gave at the Office Julie TV film
1985–86 Magnum, P.I. Leslie "Scooter" Emory "The Hotel Dick", "Straight and Narrow"
1986 Simon & Simon Cotton "Act Five"
1986 Popeye Doyle Corinne Evans TV film
1986 Starman Shannon McGovern "Like Father, Like Son"
1986 Hunter Jody Stone "Crime of Passion"
1987 The Hitchhiker Cheryl Barnes "Secret Ingredient"
1987 Brothers Candy "There's a Lid for Every Pot"
1987 Matlock Kitty Carroll "The Country Boy"
1988 St. Elsewhere Harry "Their Town"
1990 Father Dowling Mysteries Iris Blackman "The Passionate Painter Mystery"
1992 The Price She Paid Marlene TV film
1995 The Wright Verdicts Eileen Cates "Ex-Corpus Delicti"
1995 Baywatch Nights Julie Young "Just a Gigolo"
2006 Mystery Woman: Redemption Kathy Starkwell TV film
2012–19 Criminal Minds Sandy Jareau "Run", "If the Shoe Fits", "Hamelin"
2013 On Cinema Herself Adult Swim webshow, "The First Annual 'On Cinema' Oscar Special"
2016 Roadside Stars Grandma Lambert TV film
2017 Twin Peaks Doris Truman 2 episodes

References

  1. ^ Hall, Ken (June 2003). "The celebrity collector: Candy Clark". Antiques & Collecting Magazine. pp. 26–28. ProQuest 197167761. Candace June Clark was born in Oklahoma and grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, before heading east for the magnetic allure of modeling, acting and fame.
  2. ^ "Celebrity Birthdays". Florida Today. June 20, 2023. p. 2A. ProQuest 2828989369. Singer Anne Murray is 78. Home repair host Bob Vila is 77. Classical pianist Andre Watts is 77. Actor Candy Clarke ('American Graffiti') is 76. Singer Lionel Richie is 74. Actor John Goodman is 71. See also:
    • "Today in history: Today's birthdays". Asbury Park Press. June 20, 1988. p. 20. ProQuest 2011958722. Singer Anne Murray is 43. Actress Candy Clark is 41. Singer Cyndi Lauper is 35.
  3. ^ "Candy Clark Tech Revolution" – Fort Worth Weekly
  4. ^ "TV Guidance Counselor Episode 202: Candy Clark". LibSyn.com. Retrieved November 21, 2023.
  5. ^ Edward Guthmann (August 23, 2007). "The ride of her life". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 23, 2007.
  6. ^ Beck, Marilyn (June 28, 1978). "Hollywood: Inhabitants of 'Little House on the Prairie' move to town in the fall". Ithaca Journal. p. 26. ProQuest 2041567175. Marjoe Gortner hosted a birthday bash at his hilltop hideaway the other night for bride Candy Clark — whom he secretly married on April 16 in Juarez, Mexico.. See also:
    • Lardine, Bob (July 31, 1979). "There's more 'Graffiti' ahead for Candy clark". New York Daily News. p. 24. ProQuest 2313374854. Candy Clark admits that she's impulsive. 'Heck,' she says, 'I even got married on the spur of the moment.' That was to actor Marjoe Gortner and it lasted just eight months, breaking up officially in June.
  7. ^ Sloan, Robin Adams (October 25, 1988). "'Dukakis the Sexy': Is Massachusetts man every woman's dream?". The Journal-News. p. C3. ProQuest 2039117744. Helen and Candy, a 41-year-old actress who's been in a host of mostly 'B' Hollywood movies, have little in common. What they share is a marriage to the same husband, agent-manager Jeff Wald. It was Wald who was involved with Reddy in the nasty divorce settlement a few years back when she took up with a younger man. Wald married Clark soon afterward, and now that marriage has gone up in smoke after only 15 months.