Melinda Clarke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Melinda Clarke
Clarke in 2012
Born	Melinda Patrice Clarke (1969-04-24) April 24, 1969 (age 56) Upland, California, U.S.
Other names	Mindy Clarke
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1989–present
Known for	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Days of Our Lives The O.C. Nikita
Spouse(s)	Ernie Mirich ​ ​ (m. 1997; div. 2005)​ Adam Farmer ​ (m. 2015)​
Children	1
Parent(s)	John Clarke (father)

Melinda Patrice "Mindy" Clarke (born April 24, 1969) is an American actress. She is famous for her roles in popular TV shows. These include Faith Taylor in the soap opera Days of Our Lives (1989–1990). She also played Julie Cooper in the teen drama The O.C. (2003–2007). You might also know her as Lady Heather in the crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2001–2015). Another big role was Amanda in the action series Nikita (2010–2013).

Early life

Melinda Clarke grew up in Dana Point, California. She has two siblings. Sadly, her sister, Heidi, passed away in 1994 due to a heart tumor.

Career highlights

Melinda Clarke has had a long and exciting career in acting. She has appeared in many different TV shows and movies.

Early roles and movies

She appeared in an episode of Seinfeld called "The Muffin Tops". In this episode, she played Jerry's girlfriend. In 1993, she took on a main role in the horror film Return of the Living Dead 3.

Clarke at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2011

Starring in The O.C.

One of her most well-known roles was Julie Cooper in the teen drama series The O.C.. This show was on the Fox network from 2003 to 2007. It ran for four seasons.

At first, Melinda Clarke was only a guest star on The O.C.. But fans loved her character so much that she became a regular cast member. Julie Cooper was often seen as tricky and self-centered. However, she also showed a softer side sometimes. Her character became a very important part of the show's stories.

In 2021, Vogue magazine wrote about the fashion in The O.C.. They praised Melinda Clarke's character, Julie Cooper. Vogue said Julie was "underrated" and "gorgeous." They also noted how she "commands every single room she walks into" with her style.

Other TV appearances

Besides The O.C., Melinda Clarke also appeared in the comedy-drama series Entourage. She played a version of herself in this show. She also played Blithe Meacham in the TV movie She Drives Me Crazy (2007).

Clarke had guest roles in several other TV shows. These include Chuck (2007) and Reaper (2007). She also appeared in Ghost Whisperer (2010). In 2010, she was on The CW show The Vampire Diaries. She played Kelly Donovan, a mother dealing with the loss of her daughter. Her performance was highly praised by the Los Angeles Times.

Clarke at San Diego Comic-Con on July 19, 2013

Nikita and voice acting

In 2010, Melinda Clarke got a main role in The CW's action drama series Nikita. She played Helen "Amanda" Collins. Her character became the main villain in the show's third and fourth seasons. The series finished after four seasons in December 2013.

Melinda Clarke has also used her voice for several animated projects and video games. She voiced Alexa in The Animatrix: Matriculated. She was Sofia Ivanescu in the video game Mission Impossible: Operation Surma. She also voiced Madame Macmu-Ling in Avatar: The Last Airbender and Charlene in King of the Hill.

Podcasts

Melinda Clarke co-hosts a podcast called Welcome to the OC, ...!. This podcast focuses on re-watching and talking about episodes of The O.C.. In 2021, Bustle magazine named it one of the "7 Top Celebrity Podcasts You Should Subscribe To Right Now." In December 2023, Clarke announced a new podcast called Beyond the OC. She hosts this podcast with her daughter. It started on April 25, 2024.

Personal life

Melinda Clarke was married to Ernie Mirich from 1997 to 2005. They have one daughter, who was born in 2000. In September 2015, Melinda Clarke married Adam Farmer. Their wedding took place in Dana Point, California.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Podcast series

Music videos

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Melinda Clarke para niños