Film Karvan debuted in the children's film,
Molly (1983), where she appeared as Maxie Ireland who befriends a talented dog, Molly. Eleanor Mannika of AllMovie reviewed it, "In this uneven children's story... [Molly's] new, young caretaker Maxie ([Karvan]) has her hands full because the villainous 'Old Dan'... [who] is such a sinister, psychotic type that the intended sense of adventure in the film is often no more than a sense of the macabre." Paul Fischer of
Tharunka described how, "virtually stealing the film is talented 14-year old, [Karvan]... she gives a vivid performance... [she] is brilliant in the demanding role, as she works beautifully with face and eyes to evoke various degrees of emotion. This young actor will do well in the future." Karvan later reflected, "acting opposite Judy Davis, all the work's done for you. I remember her close-up was first and I was just bawling off camera... she's very powerful... I never look forward to [crying on screen]... [it] is a lot harder and a lot more, more confronting and lot more — You feel a lot more vulnerable. And I resist it." At 17-years-old Karvan secured a lead role, Joanna Johnson, in the Australian
comedy,
caper movie,
The Big Steal (1990). Her love-interest, Danny Clarke (portrayed by
Ben Mendelsohn), tries to impress her with his car, "[she] agrees to a date. But just as it seems that nirvana is to be easily attained, the motor blows up, along with the date." Her character has an affair with a 17-year-old student, Nick Polides (
Alex Dimitriades). Karvan later reflected on the role in a 2024 interview, saying that she doesn't "take responsibility" for the controversial storyline: "I didn't write it. I didn't direct it. I didn't produce it... I was a 19 year old girl. And it was a tough job. I felt like I was an adult, and I was playing a very adult role... I probably wasn't that equipped to do it. I got through and I did it, but it wasn't my favourite job." Karvan starred alongside fellow Australian actor
Guy Pearce in
Flynn, later retitled
My Forgotten Man (1993) playing the young fiancée of
Errol Flynn, and
Dating the Enemy (1996) where the partners are
body swapped. She worked opposite
Hugh Jackman in the romantic comedy
Paperback Hero (1999). She portrayed Grainger's early love interest, Alfhild de Luce, opposite
Richard Roxburgh. As Sola she had also filmed scenes for
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002), but they were cut from the theatrical release and appear only as an extra on the related two-disc DVD. She played the role of Ginny Rogers, the mother of teenager, Hailey (
Joanna Levesque), in the American teen fantasy,
Aquamarine (2006). In 2007 Karvan and
Steve Bisley were inducted into the
Australian Film Walk of Fame "for the skill, expertise and dedication to their craft which has contributed to the vitality and uniqueness of Australian Film, by the placing of plaques in the footpath" in front of the
Ritz Cinema, Randwick.
Senses of Cinemas
Alexandra Heller-Nicholas observed, "Karvan's place as a major player across almost four decades of Australian screen culture was carved in stone." In September 2008 she voiced the character of Michelle in
$9.99, "a stop motion toon for grown-ups." She appeared in the 2009 film
Daybreakers, a vampire thriller co-starring
Ethan Hawke and
Willem Dafoe and filmed on the Gold Coast. A highlight was "learning how to handle a crossbow. Her character, Audrey, is a survivor, hiding out alongside Dafoe's Elvis, while Hawke's Edward is a vampire scientist." Just weeks before shooting began on
Infidel (2020), Karvan took over a role from another actress due to schedule conflicts. Once again, she starred opposite Caviezel as his on-screen wife, "[she] really dove into the part and she portrays the total exasperation a wife would feel when every avenue she pursues to get her husband out of prison is thwarted." During that year she appeared in TV drama
The Last Resort. A critic for
Australian Cinema described Karvan's performance, "I do not believe many other Australian actors could pull off the 'biker chick' with such style and beauty." During the filming of
My Brother Jack (2001), Karvan took the role of Cressida Morley, "She's a wonderful character. She's described as having a pagan vitality, as being an authentic savage, and she reminds David (
Matt Day) of his brother." Behind the scenes she was also a director on season 3 episodes, "Great Expectations" and "The People You Meet" (both 2003). She acknowledges that show's co-creator and producer,
John Edwards, for "her shift from acting in shows to creating... He gave Karvan her first directing gig." They depict Jo Collins and Chrissy Hindmarsh, respectively, "a sleuthing duo of down-to-earth women. Karvan is a brisk, unbutch, 30-something policewoman; Gibney is a one-time lawyer, at the cusp of middle age." Gibney explained to Peter Craven of
The Age, "when Claudia and I were approached we both insisted that we wanted to play ordinary recognisable women." The telemovie
Saved (2009) had her depicting Julia, an advocate for a detainee, asylum seeker Amir (
Osamah Sami). In August 2010 Karvan co-created, produced, and starred in the supernatural comedy-drama series
Spirited. She plays a Sydney dentist, Suzy Darling, who has left her husband Steve (
Rodger Corser) and moved into a penthouse, which she discovers is haunted by the ghost of a 1980s British rock musician, Henry (
Matt King). It is inspired by the 1981 film of
the same name and the
1979 novel. She described her perspective, "It's like they're looking at the '70s with 2012 eyes. It's quite unflinching, it's quite detailed... I've never done a period piece of a time that I've lived through – it feels a bit like time travel. It's gorgeous." In the ABC miniseries
The Time Of Our Lives (2013–14) she starred as Caroline Tivolli. She reflected on the work, "[it's a] story about the legacy of parenting and family (and) she's such an enigmatic and unique character." Early in 2020 she was a contestant on
Dancing with the Stars alongside her professional dance partner,
Aric Yegudkin. She reconnected with Gibney (as Jane Halifax) while portraying her rival, Mandy Petras, in the crime drama series
Halifax: Retribution (2020).
The Sydney Morning Heralds Craig Mathieson noticed, "Karvan is the show's best asset, needling Halifax with fake compassion... [her character] is a welcome seam of subtlety, a necessary antidote to the burnt-out cop clichés" of castmate
Anthony LaPaglia as Tom Saracen. On 18 February 2025, Stan Australia announced a film for the series
Bump, titled
Bump: A Christmas Film where Karvan would reprise the role of Angie Davis from the show.
Stage In April 1991 Karvan acted in the Shakespearean play
Henry IV, Part 1 at
Riverside Theatres in
Parramatta. She also appeared as Kathy "Bubba" Ryan in a production of
Summer of the Seventeenth Doll at the Seymour Centre,
Chippendale, in August of that year. During April 1995 she performed in
Poor Super Man at
Wharf 2 Theatre, Sydney. Karvan acted at Wharf 1 Theatre in December 1998 in
Fred, a play written by
Beatrix Christian. ==Personal life==