Lani O'Grady (born Lanita Rose Agrati, October 2, 1954 – September 25, 2001) was an American actress and talent agent. She is best remembered for her role as Mary Bradford, the eldest sister from ''

Eight Is Enough ''Eight Is Enough'' is an American comedy-drama/sitcom television series that aired on ABC from March 15, 1977, to May 23, 1981. The show was modeled on the life of syndicated newspaper columnist Tom Braden, a real-life parent with eight childre ...

''.

Early life

O'Grady was born Lanita Rose Agrati in Walnut Grove, California to Mary B. Grady, a children's talent agent. She was the sister of actor/musician Don Grady. Even as a youngster, she had a low-pitched voice.

Career

O'Grady began acting at age 13 with a role in the television series '' The High Chaparral''. In the early 1970s, she appeared on ''

Harry O ''Harry O'', sometimes spelled ''Harry-O'', is an American private detective series that aired for two seasons on ABC from 1974 to 1976. The series starred David Janssen, and Jerry Thorpe was executive producer. ''Harry O'' followed the broad ...

'' and had a role in the 1975 television movie '' Cage Without a Key'', starring Susan Dey. In 1976, she co-starred in the feature film '' Massacre at Central High'' along with Kimberly Beck (who appeared as Nancy in the ''Eight Is Enough'' pilot). The following year, O'Grady landed the role of Mary Bradford in the series ''

'', and she changed her name to O'Grady. She appeared in 112 episodes of the series. She also reprised the role of Mary Bradford in two ''Eight Is Enough'' television movies in 1987 and 1989. After the series ended in 1981, O'Grady had a role in the 1982 television movie ''

The Kid with the Broken Halo ''The Kid with the Broken Halo'' is a 1982 American television film, made-for-television fantasy film, fantasy-comedy film starring Gary Coleman, Robert Guillaume, June Allyson, Mason Adams and Ray Walston about a wise-cracking "angel-in-trainin ...

''. Her last acting role was as Mrs. Kramer in ''

Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that aired on the network NBC from November 8, 1965, to September 9, 2022; the soap has streamed n ...

'' in 1990.

Personal life and death

After suffering from

agoraphobia Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by symptoms of anxiety in situations where the person perceives their environment to be unsafe with no way to escape. These situations can include public transit, shopping centers, crowds and q ...

and memory blackouts in the early 1990s, O'Grady retired from acting and became a talent agent. She also began taking non-narcotic medication for a diagnosed brain chemical imbalance. In a 1994 interview with the ''Los Angeles Times'', O'Grady said she had suffered from

panic attack Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear and Comfort, discomfort that may include palpitations, otherwise defined as a Tachycardia, rapid, Arrhythmia, irregular Heart rate, heartbeat, Hyperhidrosis, sweating, chest pain or discomfort, s ...

s since the age of 18 but was not diagnosed with

panic disorder Panic disorder is a mental disorder, specifically an anxiety disorder, characterized by reoccurring unexpected panic attacks. Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear that may include palpitations, sweating, shaking, shortness of breath ...

until she was 21. She also admitted to abusing prescription drugs, including

Valium Diazepam, sold under the brand name Valium among others, is a medicine of the benzodiazepine family that acts as an anxiolytic. It is used to treat a range of conditions, including anxiety, seizures, alcohol withdrawal syndrome, muscle spas ...

, as well as alcohol. In December 1998, she entered the Thalians Mental Health Department at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for detoxification. O'Grady died at her home in

Valencia, California Valencia is an unincorporated community in northwestern Los Angeles County, California, United States. The area, west of Interstate 5, is expanding with residential development and already includes major commercial and industrial parks. It stra ...

at the age of 46 on September 25, 2001. An autopsy revealed high levels of the painkiller

Vicodin Hydrocodone/paracetamol (also known as hydrocodone/acetaminophen) is the combination of the pain medications hydrocodone and paracetamol (acetaminophen). It is used to treat moderate to severe pain. It is taken by mouth. Recreational use is ...

and antidepressant Prozac in her bloodstream. The Los Angeles County Coroner's office stated she died of "multiple-drug intoxication"; the coroner was unable to determine if her death was accidental.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ogrady, Lani 1954 births 2001 deaths 20th-century American actresses Actresses from California American child actresses American film actresses American television actresses Drug-related deaths in California People from Walnut Creek, California People from Valencia, Santa Clarita, California