Caitlin Clarke
Caitlin Clarke was an American actress best known for her roles as Valerian in the 1981 fantasy film Dragonslayer and Charlotte Cardoza in the 1998–1999 Broadway musical Titanic.
Early life and education
Clarke was born in Pittsburgh, the oldest of five sisters, the youngest of whom is Victoria Clarke. Her family moved to Sewickley when she was ten.Clarke received her B.A. in theater arts from Mount Holyoke College in 1974 and her M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama in 1978. During her final year at Yale, Clarke performed with the Yale Repertory Theater in such plays as Tales from the [Vienna Woods (play)|Tales from the Vienna Woods].
Career
Clarke starred in the 1981 fantasy film Dragonslayer.After appearing in three Broadway plays in 1985, Clarke moved to Los Angeles for several years as a film and television actress.
In 1986, she appeared in the film Crocodile Dundee as Simone, a friendly prostitute. That same year, Clarke appeared in the television series The Equalizer as Jessie Moore, the mother of Laura, played by nine year-old Melissa Joan Hart, who asks McCall for protection from an abusive ex-husband in "Torn."
She returned to theater in the early 1990s, and to Broadway as Charlotte Cardoza in Titanic.
From 1997 to 2000, Clarke had a reoccurring role on Law & Order as List of [Law & Order characters#Defense attorneys|Defense Attorney Linda Walsh].
Personal life and death
Clarke was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2000. She returned to Pittsburgh to teach theater at the Dietrich [School of Arts and Sciences|University of Pittsburgh] and at the Pittsburgh Musical Theater's Rauh Conservatory as well as to perform in Pittsburgh theatre until her death on September 9, 2004.Stage
Broadway
- 1983 – Teaneck Tanzi: The Venus Flytrap
- 1985 – The [Marriage of Figaro (play)|The Marriage of Figaro]
- 1985 – Arms and the Man
- 1985 – Strange Interlude
- 1998 – ''Titanic: A New Musical''
Off-Broadway
- 1979 – Othello
- 1981 – No End of Blame
- 1983 – Summer
- 1984 – Total Eclipse
- 1984 – Quartermaine's Terms
- 1984 – Thin Ice
- 1994 – Three Birds Alighting On A Field
- 1994 – ''Unexpected Tenderness''
Regional
- 1978 – Tales from the Vienna Woods
- 1979 – The Winter's Tale
- 1980 – Bal
- 1981 – Plenty
- 1982 – Summer Vacation Madness
- 1984 – As You Like It
- 1984 – Not Quite Jerusalem
- 1989 – Our Country's Good
- 1991 – The Queen And The Rebels
- 1996 – Mrs. Warren's Profession
- 1997 – Indiscretions
- 1997 – The Glass Menagerie
- 1999 – Griller
- 2000 – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf
- 2002 – The Gigli Concert
- 2002 – ''Aristocrats''
Filmography
Film
- 1981 Dragonslayer as Valerian
- 1986 Crocodile Dundee as Simone
- 1988 Kenny as Sharon
- 1989 The Big Picture as Sharon
- 1989 Penn & Teller Get Killed as Carlotta / Officer McNamara
- 1994 Blown Away as Officer Rita
- 1997 Cost of Living as Annie
- 1997 A Cure For Serpents as Mother
- 1999 Joe the King as Pat
- 2001 Never Again as Allison
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1986 | The Equalizer | Jessie Moore | Episode: "Torn" |
| 1987 | Moonlighting | Elaine Johnson | 2 episodes |
| 1987 | Once a Hero | Emma Greely / Emma Greeley | 3 episodes |
| 1986 | Mayflower Madam | Virginia | TV movie |
| 1990 | Matlock | Sandra Townsend | Episode: "The Witness" |
| 1991 | Love, Lies and Murder | Sandra Eden | TV movie |
| 1991 | Northern Exposure | Irene Rondenet | Episode: "Only You" |
| 1996 | The Stepford Husbands | Lisa | TV movie |
| 1997–2000 | Law & Order | Defense Attorney Linda Walsh | |
| 2000 | Sex And The City | Uptight Woman | 1 episode |