Clarke was born on Feb. 16, 1972 in St. Louis, MO. She studied Italian and Fine Arts at Indiana University, which led to a senior year in Bologna, Italy, where her interest in acting was first piqued. Upon her return to the United States, Clarke worked as an architectural photographer while pursuing her acting studies. Reportedly, she bargained with a local arts center to exchange photographs of the location for free acting lessons. When she relocated to New York, she studied acting with a variety of companies and teachers, including Robert Wilson and the famed Circle in the Square Theatre. Her first screen appearance was in the award-winning Volkswagen TV commercial “Synchronicity,” in which Clarke played one half of a couple curiously cruising the streets of New Orleans in a black Jetta. She made her film debut with a leading role in the short film “Pas de Deux” (2000), which earned her the Outstanding Performance Award at the Brooklyn Film Festival. Clarke quickly segued into “working actress” status with roles in independent films including “All About George” (2000) and “The Accident” (2001), as well as guest spots on episodic television including “Ed” (NBC, 2000-04) and “Sex and the City” (HBO, 1998-2004).
Only a year after her official acting debut, Clarke landed her “big break” when she was cast on “24” as Nina Myers, former lover of Agent Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) and second-in-command of the Los Angeles Counter Terrorism Unit. Eventually, Clarke and the show’s millions of viewers discovered that Nina was the much debated agency “mole.” Her character transformed from trusted ally to traitor, responsible for, among other things, the death of Jack Bauer’s wife, an assassination attempt on the President, and the unleashing of a deadly biological weapon. Bauer’s obsession with Nina came to an end at the conclusion of the third season when he succeeded in killing her. In sharp contrast to the twisted relationship between Jack and Nina, Clarke developed a much healthier one with her co-star, veteran character actor Xander Berkeley, who played her boss, George Mason. The pair fell in love during the first season, announced their engagement at the launch of the second season of “24,” and tied the knot in September of 2002.
While “24” kept Clarke busy, the actress also found time to work on film projects; most notably in the acclaimed coming-of-age drama, “Thirteen” (2003). Following the death of Nina Myers, Clarke rose again with guest appearances on “House, M.D.” (Fox, 2004- ), “Las Vegas” (NBC, 2003-08) and “The Cleaner” (A&E, 2008- ). Clarke was back in the spotlight in 2008 for her supporting role as the eccentric mother of “Twilight” (2008) protagonist Bella, a human teen in love with a vampire (Robert Pattinson). After joining the ensemble cast of Sebastien Gutierrez’ indie comedy, “Women in Trouble” (2008), Clarke was cast alongside Eric McCormack on “Trust Me” (TNT, 2009), a short lived drama about a Chicago advertising agency in which Clarke played the wife of workaholic creative director McCormack. The following year, she reprised her role in the “Twilight” sequel “Eclipse” (2010), after having been notably absent from the second installment, “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” (2009).