Maria O’Brien ‘Protocol and Smile’ Actress Dies at 75

Over the course of her six-decade career, Maria O’Brien graced screens small and large, appearing in films and TV and give her best performances.

Maria O’Brien, an actress in Protocol and Matlock, who also worked as an acting coach on Days of Our Lives, died on Feb. 24. She was 75. Her cause of death wasn’t immediately available.

O’Brien started her career as an actress in the late 1990s; her first appearance was hired on the daytime dramas ‘Sunset Beach’ and ‘Passions’. She also held a 15-year position as the acting coach on the beloved drama series “Days of Our Lives” until her retirement in 2022. She also won a Drama-Logue award for ‘The Maids’ by Jean Genet, performed at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles in 1990.

O’Brien was come first in death by her brother, actor Brendan O’Brien, and is survived by three children, Thomas Anderson, Danica Anderson, and Sean Anderson, and her sister Bridget O’Brien Adelman.

She will be remembered for her lively behavior, her passion for acting, and her extraordinary talent as an artist and teacher.

Maria O’Brien screen credits included “The Incredible Shrinking Woman” and “Table for Five.” She also made guest appearances on a number of shows including “Murder She Wrote,” “Magnum PI,” “The Love Boat,” “LA Law” and “CHiPs.”

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