FAREWELL

‘Murder, She Wrote’ Actress Dies at 75

The actress also spent 15 years as an acting coach on ‘Days of Our Lives’.

Actress and acting coach Maria O’Brien has died at the age of 75. She passed away on February 24, Variety reported. Her cause of death was not disclosed. Over a career spanning decades, O’Brien appeared in an array of films and television series, including Smile (1975), The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1980) and Protocol (1984). On television, she made guest appearances on shows such as Matlock, Murder, She Wrote, Magnum, P.I., The Love Boat, L.A. Law and CHiPs. Born Aug. 14, 1950, in Los Angeles, O’Brien came from a Hollywood family. Her father, Edmund O’Brien, won an Academy Award for his role in The Barefoot Contessa (1954), and her mother was musical comedy performer Olga San Juan. Later in her career, O’Brien became an acting coach, working on the daytime dramas Sunset Beach and Passions. She later spent 15 years as the acting coach on Days of Our Lives before retiring in 2022. O’Brien notably advocated for Alzheimer’s research and testified before Congress in 1983 following her father’s diagnosis with the disease. She is survived by her three children and her sister, Bridget O’Brien Adelman.