Born in Adelaide, South Australia in 1953, she got the acting bug and joined the Malvern Theatre Company, Adelaide. Her theatre work includes the Melbourne Theatre Company productions of Sons of Cain, Chapter Two, The Foursome, City Sugar (Critics Circle Award), Makassar Reef, On Our Selection, Benefactors, Don's Party and The Tempest. She is the granddaughter of the 1943 Magarey Medallist Nobby Clark. The Magarey Medal is only awarded to the best football player in the South Australian National Football League. She has also worked as manager of the Tilbury Hotel, Sydney.