Actress Mary Mara, who guest-starred on shows Ray Donovan, Nash Bridges and ER, died in an apparent drowning accident on Sunday. Her body was discovered in New York’s St. Lawrence River. She was 61.
“The preliminary investigation suggests the victim drowned while swimming,” the New York State Police said in a press release. There are no signs of foul play, but an investigation is ongoing.
A rep for Mara tells Yahoo Entertainment: “Mary was one of the finest actresses I ever met. She had a terrific sense of humor and a unique outlook on life. I still remember the first time that I saw her onstage in Mad Forest in ’92. She was utterly captivating, well loved, and will be missed.”
The actress worked off-Broadway early on in her 32-year career. She made her feature film debut in 1992, starring in Love Potion No. 9 alongside Sandra Bullock and Tate Donovan. Mara played Billy Crystal’s daughter in the film Mr. Saturday Night that same year. Crystal, who’s starring in the Broadway adaptation, said he will be dedicating Tuesday night’s performance to his former co-star.
Mara appeared in dozens of television shows, notably Law & Order, Dexter, Shameless, Criminal Minds and Lost. She last appeared onscreen in the 2020 film Break Even. Mara has over 80 screen credits.
The actress was staying at the summer home of her sister at the time of her death, according to a family spokesperson. The Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy to determine an official cause of death.
Mara is survived by her stepdaughter, Katie Mersola; her sister, Martha Mara; another sister and a brother-in-law, Susan Mara and Scott Dailey; and nephew, Christopher Dailey, according to her obituary.
[Editor’s note: This story was originally published on Monday, June 27 at 7: 46 pm ET and was updated to include Crystal’s tweet.]
Related video: U.S. swimmer recalls near-drowning incident and rescue
Video courtesy of NBCUniversal/Nightly News
