Mary Mara Passes On

Mary Mara, who played Loretta Sweet on ER and Inspector Bryn Carson on Nash Bridges, died on June 26 2022 at the age of 61, She drowned while swimming in the St. Lawrence River in Cape Vincent, New York.

Mary Mara was born on September 21 1960 in Syracuse, New York. Her father, Roger Mara,  was the director of special events for the New York State Fair. She attended Corcoran High School in Syracuse. She attended  San Francisco State University and later the Yale School of Drama. She earned a Master of Fine Arts from Yale.

Mary Mara made her television debut in the TV movie The Preppie Murder in 1989. During the Nineties she had the recurring role of Loretta Sweet on ER. She later had the recurring role of Inspector Bryn Carson on Nash Bridges. She guest starred on Philly Heat, Hope & Gloria, Dellaventura, The Visitor, NYPD Blue, Ally McBeal, Farscape, G vs E, Law & Order, Profiler, and Rude Awakening. She was a guest voice on the animated shows Spicy City and Poker Night. She made her film debut in Blue Steel in 1990. In the Nineties she appeared in the movies The Hard Way (1991), True Colors (1991), Out of the Rain (1991), Mr. Saturday Night (1992), Love Potion no. 9 (1992), Graham (1992), Just Looking  (1995), Bound (1996), and A Civil Action (1998).

In the Naughts, Mary Mara had brief recurring roles on the shows The Handler, Star Trek: Enterprise and Dexter. She guest starred on the shows That's Life, The Practice, Gideon's Crossing, Judging Amy, The Huntress, Becker, The West Wing, Third Watch, Boston Public, Philly, Crossing Jordan, The Guardian, North Shore, Without a Trace, 7th Heaven, Joan of Arcadia, Monk, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Nip/Tuck, Bones, Lost, Saving Grace, and Lie to Me. She appeared in the movies Lloyd (2001), K-PAX (2001), Em & Me (2004), Undoing (2006), Swedish Auto (2006), Gridiron Gang (2006), and Prom Night (2008).

In the Teens Miss Mara had a recurring role on the TV show Ray Donovan. She guest starred on the shows Shameless, Criminal Minds, Secrets and Lies, and Doubt. She was a guest voice on the animated series Pet Pals. She appeared in the movies Paradise, Fl (2015), The Sphere and the Labyrinth (2015), and Break Even (2020).

Mary Mara was a very fine actress. This is demonstrated by her role as Loretta Sweet on ER. Loretta was a prostitute who occasionally came to the emergency room to be treated. She also had children. Eventually she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Miss Mara played Loretta with a poignancy that makes the character more memorable than some of the regulars on the shows. Of course, she also played Inspector Bryn Carson on Nash Bridges, a character far removed from Loretta. Bryn was a tough, but fair cop who was often called upon to go undercover. Over the years Mary Mara played a wide variety of roles, from a police informant to social workers to alien beings. What is more, she was convincing in all of these roles.