Hollywood actor Maria O'Brien dies at 75
What's the story
Maria O'Brien, a renowned film and television actor, has passed away at the age of 75. O'Brien was the daughter of Oscar-winning actor Edmund O'Brien and musical comedy star Olga San Juan. She is survived by three children and a sister, Bridget O'Brien Adelman. An exact cause of death is not out yet.
Career beginnings
O'Brien's film career
O'Brien made her film debut in 1975 with a role in Smile. She went on to appear in Shell Game (1975), The Choirboys (1977), Prime Time (1977), PSI Factor (1980), and The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1980). In 1984, she was part of the ensemble cast of Protocol, which starred Goldie Hawn, Richard Romanus, and Jean Smart.
TV roles
Her extensive TV career
O'Brien had guest roles in popular TV shows such as Murder, She Wrote, Magnum P.I., Good Morning Miss Bliss, The Love Boat, LA Law, CHiPs, Matlock and Nash Bridges. In the late '90s, she became an acting coach on daytime dramas Sunset Beach and Passions. This led to a 15-year stint as an acting coach on Days of Our Lives until her retirement in 2022.
Advocacy work
Other accomplishments and her father's Alzheimer's advocacy
O'Brien's father was one of the first celebrities to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. In 1983, she testified before Congress about the disease's devastation and played a key role in securing government funding for Alzheimer's research. She also won a Drama-Logue award in 1990 for her performance in The Maids by Jean Genet at Los Angeles's Mark Taper Forum. May she rest in peace.