'Goonies' Actress Mary Ellen Trainor Dies: Her Biggest Roles
The veteran character actress appeared in more than two dozen films.
— -- She was a familiar presence in some of the biggest movies of the 1980s and '90s, including "The Goonies, "Lethal Weapon,” “Die Hard” and “Romancing the Stone.”
Today, many are mourning the death of veteran character actress Mary Ellen Trainor, who died at her home in Montecito, California, on May 20. She was 62.
Her death was confirmed Monday by her longtime friend, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy.
"Mare and I have been close since our days together as college roommates, and she even provided the introduction to Steven Spielberg that jump-started my career," Kennedy said in a statement to The Associated Press. "She was a great actress, warm friend and generous spirit."
Trainor studied broadcast journalism at San Diego State, where she was discovered by a radio station manager who asked her to be an on-air personality. Soon afterwards, she became station editor at KCBS, paving the way for a career in entertainment.
After moving to Hollywood, Trainor landed a job as a production assistant on a number of films, including the 1979 Steven Spielberg film “1941,” written by director Robert Zemeckis.
Zemeckis and Trainor married in 1980, and he gave her a first big screen role in the 1984 film “Romancing the Stone” at the suggestion of star Michael Douglas. Trainor played the kidnapped sister of Kathleen Turner’s character.
The role launched her career as an actress. Trainor appeared in more than two dozen films and in numerous roles on the small screen, including “Parker Lewis Can’t Lose,” “Roswell” and the short-lived series “Relativity.”
Here are some of her biggest roles:
‘The Goonies’
A year after Trainor appeared in “Romancing the Stone,” director Richard Donner cast her in his film “The Goonies,” in which she played Irene Walsh, the mother of two of the characters, played by Sean Astin and Josh Brolin.
Asked in a 2013 interview with Red Carpet TV News what she remembered most from the film, she said, "The shenanigans of the kids. They all fell in love with each other. And Dick Donner encouraged that.”
‘Lethal Weapon’
Two years later, Donner turned to Trainor once again for one of her best-known roles, playing police psychiatrist Dr. Stephanie Woods, who has a complicated relationship with Mel Gibson’s character. Despite playing a minor role, Trainor appeared as Woods in four of the “Lethal Weapon” films.
‘Die Hard’
Trainor starred in the 1988 Bruce Willis blockbuster “Die Hard” as TV news anchor Gail Wallens. She later reprised her role as Wallens in 1991’s "Ricochet."
‘Scrooged’
Also that year, Trainor starred opposite Bill Murray in “Scrooged,” another Donner film.
‘Back to the Future Part II’
The following year, Zemeckis cast his wife in the second film of his successful Back to the Future franchise.
‘Ghostbusters II’
Also in 1989, Trainor teamed up with Murray once again in “Ghostbusters II.”
Trainor collaborated for the last time with Zemeckis on his 1994 Academy Award-winning film “Forrest Gump.” They had one child, son Alex, before divorcing in 2000.
‘Freaky Friday’
Trainor appeared in the 2003 film remake starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan.