Maria O’Brien, the beloved actress and acting coach who mentored performers on “Days of Our Lives” for 15 years, died February 24 at age 75. Her passing marks the end of a six-decade career that bridged Hollywood’s golden age and its modern soap opera landscape.
Born August 14, 1950, in Los Angeles, O’Brien inherited her parents’ theatrical legacy. Her father, Edmond O’Brien, won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1954 for “The Barefoot Contessa,” playing the memorable publicist Oscar Muldoon opposite Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner. Her mother, Olga San Juan, starred as a musical comedy performer in films including “Are You with It?,” “The Countess of Monte Cristo,” and “One Touch of Venus.”
O’Brien made her screen debut in 1963 on the television series “Sam Benedict.” Her first film role came in 1975 when she appeared in Michael Ritchie’s satirical comedy “Smile,” playing Maria Gonzales, an aggressively competitive beauty pageant contestant. She followed that with appearances in “Shell Game,” “The Choirboys,” “Prime Time,” and “The Incredible Shrinking Woman.”
In 1984, O’Brien appeared in the film “Protocol” alongside Goldie Hawn, Richard Romanus, and Jean Smart. Her other film credits included “Table for Five,” “Good Luck,” “Promised a Miracle,” “False Arrest,” and “In Sickness and in Health.” Throughout her acting career, O’Brien shared the screen with major stars including Melanie Griffith, Lily Tomlin, Angela Lansbury, and Tom Selleck.
O’Brien’s television credits stretched across some of the most popular shows of the 1980s and 1990s, including “Murder, She Wrote,” “Magnum, P.I.,” “The Love Boat,” “L.A. Law,” “CHiPs,” “Matlock,” “Nash Bridges,” “Suddenly Susan,” “Quincy, M.E.,” and “Good Morning, Miss Bliss.” She also appeared in “Viva Valdez,” “How the West Was Won,” “The Life and Times of Eddie Roberts,” “Jake and the Fatman,” “Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction,” “Jack & Jill,” “Spyder Games,” and “For the People.”
Her stage work earned recognition as well. In 1990, O’Brien won a Drama-Logue award for her performance in Jean Genet’s “The Maids” at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.
O’Brien transitioned to coaching in the late 1990s, working on the daytime dramas “Sunset Beach” and “Passions” before landing her most enduring role as acting coach on “Days of Our Lives.” She held that position for 15 years until her retirement in 2022, shaping the performances of countless actors who appeared on the long-running NBC soap opera.
The show’s stars mourned her passing with heartfelt tributes. Eric Martsolf, who plays Brady and worked with O’Brien since his days on “Passions,” remembered her as “an unsung hero in our industry.” Robert Scott Wilson, who plays Alex Kiriakis, posted: “Maria, your soul and unrelenting passion for the craft will never be forgotten.”
Beyond her contributions to entertainment, O’Brien became a passionate advocate for Alzheimer’s research after her father was diagnosed with the disease. Edmond O’Brien was one of the first celebrities to publicly disclose his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, bringing national attention to a condition that remained largely hidden and stigmatized at the time.
In 1983, O’Brien testified before Congress about the devastating impact of Alzheimer’s disease. Her testimony and advocacy work proved instrumental in securing government funding for Alzheimer’s research during a critical period when awareness and funding remained limited. Her father died in 1985.
O’Brien’s legacy extends beyond her own performances to the generations of actors she coached and mentored. Her 15-year tenure on “Days of Our Lives” made her a fixture in the daytime television community, where she earned deep respect for her dedication to the craft and her ability to help performers deliver their best work under the demanding schedule of daily soap opera production.
O’Brien is survived by her three children, James Anderson, Danica Anderson, and Sean Anderson, and her sister, Bridget O’Brien Adelman. She was preceded in death by her brother, actor and voice artist Brendan O’Brien, who died in March 2023. Brendan O’Brien was best known for serving as the original voice of the video game character Crash Bandicoot and other characters for the Naughty Dog-era games from 1996 to 2004.
Her cause of death has not been disclosed. O’Brien’s family has not yet announced plans for memorial services.