Although frequently cited as having competed in the 1971 "Junior Miss" pagaent in New York City, she did not. The 1971 Georgia winner was Carolyn S. Whitted of College Park.

Her role opposite Sean Connery as James Bond in Never Say Never Again is generally considered her breakthrough role, although a Playboy spread didn't hurt the up and coming actress. She appeared in The Natural, 9 and 1/2 Weeks, and Batman before her career seemed to fizzle. After marrying (and eventually divorcing) Alec Baldwin, and starring in a string of flops, she seemed back on the right track with L. A. Confidential, but this success was short-lived as well. In 2004, she returned in Cellular, a "once you accept the plotline the movie isn't that bad" kind of film.

In 1989 she paid $20 million dollars for a significant portion of the city of Braselton, Georgia, selling it for about $1 million in the 1990's