Maria O’Brien, a well-known actress who appeared in movies like “Protocol” and TV shows like “Matlock,” died on February 24, 2026, at the age of 75. She was born on August 14, 1950, in Los Angeles to Oscar-winning actor Edmond O’Brien and performer Olga San Juan. She grew up in the glitz and glamor of Hollywood.
In 1963, O’Brien made her first appearance on screen in “Sam Benedict.” Her first movie role was in “Smile,” which came out in 1975. She was in well-known movies like “The Choirboys” (1977), “The Incredible Shrinking Woman” (1981), and “Protocol” (1984), a comedy with Goldie Hawn.
She was a guest on “Matlock,” “Murder, She Wrote,” “Nash Bridges,” and “Jake and the Fatman,” and she shared scenes with stars like Andy Griffith and Angela Lansbury. O’Brien was also in “Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction” and “Suddenly Susan.”
O’Brien coached on the soap operas “Sunset Beach” and “Passions” starting in the late 1990s. He then worked on “Days of Our Lives” for 15 years before retiring in 2022. At the Mark Taper Forum, she won a Drama-Logue award for “The Maids.”
After her father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, O’Brien spoke out for research into the disease and went to Congress in 1983 to get money for it. She leaves behind a legacy of nurturing talent and being charming on screen.
