Pavan's film debut came in What Price Glory (1952).
Her breakthrough came in the film The Rose Tattoo (1955) as Anna Magnani's daughter; her role was first assigned to Angeli, who then became unavailable to play the part. Her performance earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Pavan. She also won the Golden Globe Award for (Best Supporting Actress) for her performance in the film.
On March 27, 1956, Pavan married French actor Jean-Pierre Aumont in Santa Barbara, California, and the couple remained together until his death in 2001. They had two sons.
