Maria O’Brien, an acting coach and actor known for roles in films including 1975’s “Smile” and 1984’s “Protocol” and numerous TV appearances in the 1980s and ’90s, died on Feb. 24. She was 75.
Over the course of her six-decade career, O’Brien graced screens small and large, appearing in films including “The Incredible Shrinking Woman” and “Table for Five.” She also made guest appearances on a number of shows including “Murder She Wrote,” “Magnum PI,” “The Love Boat,” “LA Law” and “CHiPs,” amongst others. She acted alongside stars like Melanie Griffith, Lily Tomlin, Angela Lansbury, Tom Selleck and Goldie Hawn.
O’Brien began her career as an acting coach in the late 1990s when she was hired on the daytime dramas “Sunset Beach” and “Passions.” She also held a 15-year position as the acting coach on the beloved drama series “Days of Our Lives” until her retirement in 2022. In 1990, O’Brien won a Drama-Logue award for “The Maids” by Jean Genet, performed at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.
Born on August 14, 1950, in Los Angeles, O’Brien was a part of a family of actors; her father, Edmund O’Brien, won the Oscar for best supporting actor in 1954’s “The Barefoot Contessa,” while her mother was musical comedy star Olga San Juan, who made appearances in a number of films including “Are You with It?,” “The Countess of Monte Cristo” and “One Touch of Venus.”
Outside of performing, O’Brien was also an advocate who played an instrumental role in securing government funding for research for Alzheimer’s Disease. In 1983, O’Brien testified before Congress about the devastation of the disease, which her father had been one of the first celebrities to be diagnosed with.
O’Brien is survived by her three children, Thomas Anderson, Danica Anderson and Sean Anderson, and her sister Bridget O’Brien Adelman. O’Brien was preceded in death by her brother, actor Brendan O’Brien.
English (US) ·