Background and career
Candace June Clark (born June 20, 1947) 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 at the 46th Academy Awards, and her role as Mary-Lou in the 1976 film The Man Who Fell to Earth.
Clark was born in Norman, Oklahoma, to Ella (née Padberg) and Thomas Clark, a chef. She grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and attended Green B. Trimble Technical High School.
Clark's first acting role was the role of Andrea Martin in "The Witch of Whitman High", season 3 episode 21 of the television series Room 222 in 1972, then as the character of Faye Murdock 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), More American Graffiti (1979), 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 a very small role as Buffy Summers (Kristy Swanson)'s mom Joyce in Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1992). 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, Clark also has made guest appearances on television series, including The 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. Her 2025 memoir, Tight Heads, features her Polaroid photographs capturing her time during the New Hollywood era.
Clark dated Jeff Bridges for several years after they met on the set of Fat City in 1972. She was married to Marjoe Gortner from 1978 to 1979. She married Jeff Wald in 1987 and divorced him in 1988.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
