Mary Mara was an American television and film actress born on September 21, 1960, in Syracuse, New York. She was known for her main role as Inspector Bryn Carson on the TV series "Nash Bridges" and her appearances on primetime dramas like "ER" and "Law & Order."

Her early life was spent in Syracuse, where her father, Roger, worked as the director of special events for the New York State Fair, and her mother, Lucille, was an accountant. She had a brother and two sisters.

Mary Mara attended Corcoran High School in Syracuse and later studied at San Francisco State University and the Yale School of Drama, where she obtained a Master of Fine Arts. Her film debut came in the 1989 television film "The Preppie Murder," and she also participated in the New York Shakespeare Festival's production of "Twelfth Night" that same year.

Her breakthrough role came on "ER," where she played Loretta Sweets, a patient with cervical cancer, in nine episodes from 1995 to 1996.

She appeared on shows such as "Law & Order," "NYPD Blue," and "Ally McBeal." During the later part of her career, she appeared as a recurring character in "Dexter" (2009) as Valerie Hodges and "Ray Donovan" (2013) as Mrs. Sullivan. Her final role was in the 2020 film "Break Even," after which she retired from acting.

Mary Mara lived a bicoastal life, splitting her time between New York City and Southern California. She underwent chemotherapy for cancer in 2008 and returned to Syracuse after her retirement.

She drowned on the morning of June 26, 2022, while swimming in the St. Lawrence River in Cape Vincent, New York, at the age of 61.