Sparks was born in the San Francisco Bay area suburb of Orinda, Calif. A tomboy as a teenager, Sparks was sent by her mother to modeling school in San Francisco. She went on her first audition for a national Coca Cola commercial, and landed the part. Smitten with the acting bug, Sparks went on her first acting audition, for the CBS series "CoverUp", and was given a contract role. Soon after, her neighbor, producer/director Blake Edwards "discovered" her on the beach in Malibu and cast her in the film "That's Life". Her second series audition was for "Falcon Crest", where she spent two and a half years in the role of Vicki Giobertti. Sparks' other television credits include "Melrose Place", "Star Trek: The Next Generation", "Murder, She Wrote", "Thirtysomething" and "LA Law". She was most recently seen as Lt. Comm. Carolyn Imes on the hit series "JAG".

Sparks currently lives in Ventura County with her husband and dogs. An avid golfer, she enjoys playing in charity golf tournaments. She was born on August 1.