Mary Mara Dies In Apparent Drowning: ER & Nash Bridges Star Was 61

Mary Mara, best known for appearances on Law and Order and ER, has died from an apparent drowning.

She was 61.

New York State Police published a report Monday that said Mara was discovered in the St. Lawrence River in Cape Vincent on Sunday evening.

According to reports, Mara had been staying at the summer home of her sister Martha.

An early investigation suggested that the actress died by drowning while swimming.

"The preliminary investigation suggests the victim drowned while swimming," the New York state police noted in a statement.

"The victim's body showed no signs of foul play and was transported to the Jefferson County Medical Examiner's Office pending an autopsy to determine an official cause of death."

The investigation is continuing.

“Mary was one of the finest actresses I ever met,” Mara's manager Craigh Dorfman said in a statement to Variety.

“I still remember seeing her onstage in 1992 in ‘Mad Forest’ off Broadway."

"She was electric, funny and a true individual. Everyone loved her. She will be missed.”

"She specialized in complex portrayals of often-troubled characters; perhaps the most familiar was her recurring role in the 1990s of Loretta Sweet, a sympathetic, down-and-out prostitute and single mother on the NBC series, 'ER,'" reads her obituary, which PEOPLE shared.

Mara debuted on-screen in the made-for-TV movie The Preppie Murder and went on to score many exciting roles.

She was a series regular on the first two seasons of Nash Bridges.

Before Nash Bridges, Mara played Loretta Sweet on the NBC series ER, a role that lasted nine episodes.

Other TV credits include NYPD Blue, Ally McBeal, Farscape, The West Wing, Monk, Shameless, Ray Donovan, Dexter, and Criminal Minds.

On the big screen, May appeared in the 1992 movie Love Potion No. 9, as well as Bound, A Civil Action, Prom Night, and Mr. Saturday Night.

Mara also had a presence onstage, having appeared in a New York Shakespeare Festival production of Twelfth Night alongside Michelle Pfeiffer and Jeff Goldblum.

Mary's final TV role is listed as General Hospital in 2014, while her last movie role came in 2020's Break Even.

Mara is survived by her stepdaughter, Katie Mersola, her sister, Martha Mara, another sister, and a brother-in-law, Susan Mara and Scott Dailey, and a nephew, Christopher Dailey.

May Mary Mara rest in peace.

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.