After leaving Soap, the actress went on to create the role of Lucille LaRusso in the Karate Kid series, appearing in the first and third installments.
In addition to the Karate Kid series, other films in which she appeared include Fast Break (1979), And Your Name Is Jonah (1979), Bulworth (1998), Monster-in-Law (2005), and Crazylove (2005).