| Lani O'Grady | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lanita Rose Agrati October 2, 1954 Walnut Creek, California, U.S. |
| Died | September 25, 2001 (aged 46) Valencia, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1969–1990 |
Lani O'Grady (October 2, 1954 – September 25, 2001) was an American actress and the sister of actor/musician Don Grady. O'Grady is best-remembered for her role as Mary Bradford, the eldest sister from Eight Is Enough.
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Born Lanita Rose Agrati in Walnut Creek, California to Mary Grady, a children's talent agent, O'Grady began acting at the age of 13 with a role in the television series High Chaparral.[1] In the early 1970s, she appeared on Harry O and had a role in the 1975 television movie Cage Without a Key, starring Susan Dey. In 1976, she co-starred in Massacre at Central High, a theatrical movie, along with Kimberly Beck (who appeared as Nancy in the Eight is Enough pilot). The following year, she landed the role of Mary Bradford in the ABC series Eight Is Enough. After the series ended in 1981, O'Grady had a role in the 1982 television movie The Kid with the Broken Halo starring Gary Coleman. She also reprised the role of Mary Bradford in two Eight Is Enough reunion television movies in 1987 and 1989. O'Grady's last acting role was as Mrs. Kramer in the soap opera Days of our Lives in 1990.
After suffering from agoraphobia and memory blackouts in the early 1990s, O'Grady retired from acting and became a talent agent. She also began taking nonnarcotic medication for a diagnosed brain chemical imbalance.[2] In a 1994 interview with the Los Angeles Times, O'Grady said she had suffered from severe panic attacks since the age of 18 but was not diagnosed with panic disorder until she was 21. She also admitted that she abused prescription drugs and alcohol, including Valium.[1]
In December 1998, she checked into the Thalians Mental Health Department at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for detox.[2]
O'Grady died in her home in Valencia, Santa Clarita, California at age 46 on September 25, 2001. An autopsy revealed toxic levels of the painkiller Vicodin and antidepressant Prozac in her bloodstream, and the Los Angeles County Coroner's office said she died of "multiple drug intoxication."[3]
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1976 | Baby Blue Marine | Girl #2 | |
| Massacre at Central High | Jane | Alternative title: Blackboard Massacre | |
| 1977 | The Hazing | Campus Girl | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1969 | The High Chaparral | Penny | 1 episode |
| 1970 | The Headmaster | Jody | Unknown episodes |
| 1973 | The Delphi Bureau | Girl | 1 episode |
| 1975 | Cage Without a Key | Noreen | Television movie |
| Harry O | Jean Helen |
2 episodes | |
| 1977–1981 | Eight Is Enough | Mary Bradford | 112 episodes |
| 1979–1980 | The Love Boat | Robin Maude Victor |
3 episodes |
| 1982 | The Kid with the Broken Halo | Julie McNulty | Television movie |
| 1987 | Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion | Mary Bradford | Television movie |
| 1989 | An Eight Is Enough Wedding | Mary Bradford | Television movie |
| 1990 | Days of Our Lives | Mrs. Kramer | Unknown episodes |