Mary Mara

Neither a full-fledged leading lady nor a character actress, Mary Mara built a solid career without ever having one breakout role. She studied acting while an undergraduate at San Francisco State University, continuing her education at the Yale School of Drama. Billed simply as "Wife," she made her screen debut in the Jamie Lee Curtis thriller "Blue Steel" in 1989. During the early part of the '90s, her roles in films gradually increased in stature. She had a supporting role in Billy Crystal's 1992 feature "Mr. Saturday Night," and co-starred in the romantic comedy "Love Potion No. 9" with Sandra Bullock.

She had a recurring role on the megahit television drama "ER" during the show's 1995-96 season, and appeared in the Jennifer Tilly thriller "Bound." She also played Inspector Bryn Carson, another recurring role, on the Don Johnson-led police show "Nash Bridges." In the 2000s, Mara continued her frequent TV guest-starring roles, appearing on programs like "The Practice" and "Crossing Jordan," but also appeared in the sci-fi feature "K-PAX" with Kevin Spacey. Other notable TV roles include a two-episode role on "Lost" in 2009, and a recurring part on "Dexter" that same year. Mary Mara died on June 26, 2022 in Cape Vincent, NY at the age of 61.