Veteran actor Mary Mara died from an apparent drowning in the St. Lawrence River at age 61.
Her body was found on Sunday morning at around 8:10 AM by New York state troopers and ambulatory personnel. She had reportedly been swimming off the town of Cape Vincent, where she was visiting her sister. No foul play is suspected.
“Mary was one of the finest actresses I ever met,” said a rep for Mara, who also announced her death. “She had a terrific sense of humor and a unique outlook on life.”
New York State Police also confirmed the ER and Law & Order actor’s passing. However, the investigation is ongoing, as her body “was transported to the Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office pending an autopsy to determine an official cause of death.”
Mara was born in Syracuse, New York, and honed her acting skills at Yale University. Aside from ER and Law & Order, in which she played Loretta Sweet and Mrs. Sharkey/Sally Knight, respectively, Mara enjoyed a lead role on the CBS police procedural Nash Bridges and had guest spots on shows like Judging Amy, The West Wing, Star Trek: Enterprise, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Nip/Tuck, Lost, Dexter, Shameless, Ray Donovan, Criminal Minds, and Secrets and Lies.
Her big screen credits include Blue Steel, The Hard Way, True Colors, Out of the Rain, Mr. Saturday Night, Swedish Auto, Gridiron Gang, Prom Night, and The Sphere and the Labyrinth.
Mara’s final credited acting appearance is in the 2020 action film Break Even.