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Marlene Clark, a captivating and sultry actress, was born on December 19, 1937, in New York City, though some sources cite Los Angeles, California. Her father worked as a bus driver, and her mother was employed in a factory. Raised in Harlem, New York City, Marlene attended junior college in Tennessee and later majored in speech at the City College of New York. She began acting in college plays and worked as a fashion model before making her film debut with a small role in For Love of Ivy (1968). Clark appeared in minor, uncredited roles in Midnight Cowboy (1969) and Putney Swope (1969). She delivered a standout performance as the seductive yet dangerous Ganja in Ganja & Hess (1973). Other notable roles include government agent Kim in Slaughter (1972), Mariane Hargis in Son of Blob (1972), the alluring reptilian demon seductress in Night of the Cobra Woman (1972), Caroline in The Beast Must Die (1974), and the wealthy Caroline in The Baron (1977). She had a recurring role as Janet Lawson, Lamont Sanford's fiancée, on the popular sitcom Sanford and Son (1972) and guest-starred on TV shows such as Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969), Bonanza (1959), The Mod Squad (1968), Highway to Heaven (1984), and Head of the Class (1986). Marlene Clark was married to Billy Dee Williams from 1968 to 1971. She passed away at the age of 85 on May 18, 2023.
