Mary Mackey grew up in Los Gatos, California. After winning the Miss Northern California pageant, she became a successful print and runway model; working with world-renowned designers including Donna Karan, Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta and Christian Lacroix. Mary became a member of SAG-AFTRA after booking several Macy's commercials, leading to dozens of regional and national commercials. Her first experience on a film set was in a scene with the incomparable Robin Williams in Mrs. Doubtfire. Her first TV role was playing judge Elaine Heller opposite Don Johnson in Nash Bridges. Mary was a member of The Actors' Gang Theatre company guided by Founding Artistic Director Tim Robbins. Mary studied with respected acting coaches Billie Shepard, John Howard Swain, Harold Guskin, Alan Arkin, and Michael Kostroff. Mary became an acting coach herself, teaching film and commercial techniques. Mary was a dedicated SAG BookPal member, reading to children in schools from 1998 to 2015. She expanded the SAG BookPals program, reading to children in homeless shelters throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. Mary worked with Father Frank Tinajero in the LIFE (Living in Freedom Everyday) Program, using improvisation to teach internal life skills to inmates at the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center. Mary is currently (2021) completing her BA in Communications at San Jose State University.