She made her acting debut in the ABC Afterschool Special Amy and the Angel, transmitted in 1982, alongside James Earl Jones, Meg Ryan, and Matthew Modine. This was also the only film she appeared in as a brunette. In 1984, she was cast as the title character, versus Faye Dunaway as Selena, in the film Supergirl, released in 1984. The film, directed by Jeannot Szwarc, received mixed reviews, and was not a box office success. Slater herself later confessed that even she did not understand the story the film was attempting to tell.

In her next film, she was cast alongside Christian Slater (no relation) and Yeardley Smith as Billie Jean Davy, a modern day Joan of Arc, in the cult classic The Legend of Billie Jean (1985). Next, she went the comedic route, starring in two big comic blockbusters, Ruthless People (1986) and The Secret of My Succe$s (1987), playing ingenues in both roles. She also became a spokeswoman for Preference by L'Oréal in both television and print ads.

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