Venora made her film debut as a bit player in Bob Fosse's "All That Jazz" (1979), but her breakthrough came as a woman being stalked by beasts in "Wolfen" (1981). She briefly appeared as Gloria Swanson in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Cotton Club" (1984). Through the 1980s and 90s, Venora contributed powerful, thoughtful character performances in the thriller "F/X" (1986) and as Jack Nicholson's daughter in "Ironweed" (1987). She was memorable as the strong-willed wife of jazzman Charlie Parker (Forest Whitaker) in Clint Eastwood's "Bird" (1988) and was featured as Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio's cautious friend in the little-seen "Three Wishes" and as Al Pacino's dissatisfied wife in the crime thriller "Heat" (both 1995). She co-starred in three 1996 films: the thriller "The Substitute", with Tom Berenger, the biopic "Surviving Picasso", with Anthony Hopkins, and the modern-dress "Romeo and Juliet", as Lady Capulet.
Venora has also been relatively busy on the small screen since her debut in the failed CBS pilot "Getting There" (1980). Her TV-movies have included "Cook and Peary: The Race to the Pole" (CBS, 1983), "A.D." (NBC, 1985), as Ophelia to Kevin Kline's "Hamlet" (PBS, 1990), and the sci-fi drama "Special Report: Journey to Mars" (CBS, 1996). She has appeared in two series, the unsuccessful "Thunder Alley" (ABC, 1993-94) and a recurring role as Mandy Patinkin's adversary-turned-love interest on "Chicago Hope" (CBS, 1994-95).