Clara Sutter was a female child who lived aboard the USS Enterprise-D in 2368. The daughter of Enterprise-D Ensign Sutter, Clara liked to cook; among her favorite foods to make were yogurt and raisin salad, chocolate chip pancakes and purple omelettes.
Most of her childhood had been spent going from one starship to another, following her father on his different assignments. Often, just as she'd make friends, her father would be transferred to another starship. To cope with this, she created an imaginary friend named Isabella; although her father was briefly concerned about this, Counselor Troi assured him that it was a perfectly normal activity. She spoke with Clara and her father regarding Isabella, ending the girl's part in the session when Clara had to leave to help Keiko O'Brien plant nasturtiums in the ship's arboretum.
Shortly thereafter, an entity boarded the Enterprise-D in search of a potential energy source. It took the form of Isabella and befriended Clara in order to investigate the ship, turning invisible when Clara was in public to preserve the idea that she wasn't 'real', although Worf saw Isabella once; both girls ran into him in a corridor because they weren't paying attention.
Although Isabella was initially willing to lead her species in destroying the ship due to the adults' perceived cruelty towards Clara, she was convinced to depart when Captain Picard convinced Isabella that the rules they imposed were only there for Clara's protection, and even Clara will make some rules for her children when she grew up. The entity ultimately realized its negative effect on Clara and left the ship. (TNG: "Imaginary Friend")
Clara Sutter was played by Noley Thornton.
In the second draft of the "Imaginary Friend" script (which had the working title "Invisible Friend"), Clara Sutter was referred to as eight years old. Since the episode is set in 2368, this scripted description suggests she was born in 2360. According to the episode's final draft script, though, Clara was seven years old in 2368, suggesting a birth year of 2361. [1] At the time the episode was filmed, the actress was eight.