Jewel Palovak is an American actress known primarily for her collaborations with director Larry Clark. Her film career began with the controversial film *Kids* (1995), where she played Jennie, a teenager navigating the difficulties and dangers of urban life, delivering a raw and authentic performance that made her an emblematic face of independent cinema of that period.

Palovak then solidified her presence in cinema with other Clark works, including *Bully* (2001), based on a true story of adolescent murder, and *Ken Park* (2002), an exploration of the troubled lives of young people in California. Characterized by a raw and naturalistic acting style, her typical roles often see her embodying young, vulnerable, or disillusioned characters, placed in contexts of rebellion and social unrest—distinctive elements of Clark's poetics. Her filmography, though concentrated, is emblematic of a cinema that explores youth on the margins.