entertainment lawyer, and James Coburn's protege. She turned down a co-starring role in Body Heat due to the overtly sexual nature of the film. She made her feature-film debut in the thriller Death Valley (1982) as Peter Billingsley's mother, Sally. That same year, she starred as Sable in Better Late Than Never. Hicks took the lead role as Amanda Tucker in the 12-episode detective series Tucker's Witch opposite Tim Matheson as Rick Tucker. The program aired on CBS from October 6, 1982, sporadically into August, 1983. In 1983, she played Lisa Sage and co-starred with John Schneider in CBS's romantic comedy movie Happy Endings. Hicks appeared with Anne Bancroft and Ron Silver in Sidney Lumet's film Garbo Talks (1984). Hicks also played Bill Murray's socialite fiancée, Isabel, in the remake The Razor's Edge (1984). For her work in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), Hicks received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. That same year, she played Carol Heath in Francis Ford Coppola's Peggy Sue Got Married. In Like Father Like Son (1987), Hicks played Dr. Amy Larkin. In March 1987, Hicks hosted the 59th Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Scientific and Technical Awards ceremony. In 1988, she played businesswoman Ella Frazier in the Yugoslavian comedy Tajna manastirske rakije (also released under the titles Cognac and Secret Ingredient). She co-starred with Christopher Plummer, as his estranged daughter, Tina Boyer, in Showtime's Souvenir (1989). She played Karen Barclay in the horror film Child's Play (1988). Her performance won her a 1988 Best Actress Saturn Award. In 1989, she starred opposite Tony Danza in She's Out of Control as his girlfriend, Janet Pearson. In 1991, she co-starred in the Fox TV comedy-fantasy movie Hi Honey - I'm Dead as Carol Stadler. She played Allison Ploutzer in the Jeff Franklin ABC comedy pilot Up to No Good (1992). She starred with John Bedford Lloyd in the ABC comedy pilot The Circle Game (1993) as the mother, and schoolteacher, Nancy. She played Jeannie Barker in the Aaron Spelling primetime soap opera Winnetka Road, which had a six-episode tryout on NBC in 1994. That same year, she played the wife in the pilot for The Martin Short Show. Going into production, after the concept of the character was changed, she was replaced by Jan Hooks. She played Julia Riordan, opposite John Lithgow and Lea Salonga, in the ABC Hallmark Hall