Young began her film career in "Jane Austen in Manhattan" (1980), followed by a role in the film "Stripes" (1981). She then played the female lead, Rachael, alongside Harrison Ford in the classic science fiction film "Blade Runner" (1982). On television, Young played the female lead opposite Lenny Von Dohlen in "Under the Biltmore Clock" (1986), based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's story "Myra Meets His Family". The following year, she had a small role in the film "Wall Street" (1987) as the wife of Michael Douglas's character, Gordon Gekko. Her role was originally intended to be larger, but was significantly reduced due to clashes with Oliver Stone.