She played roles on such shows as Criminal Minds, Nash Bridges, NYPD Blue, Law & Order, Ray Donovan, The Practice, Gideon's Crossing, Star Trek: Enterprise, and more
Mary specialized in complex portrayals of often-troubled characters; perhaps the most familiar was her recurring role in the 1990s of Loretta Sweet
She played a sympathetic, down-and-out prostitute and single mother on the NBC series, 'ER,'