Of Irish, English, and Scottish descent, Maureen Paula O'Sullivan was born on May 17, 1911 in Boyle, County Roscommon, Ireland. Her father was Charles Joseph O'Sullivan, an officer in the Connaught Rangers, and his wife, the former Mary Fraser (or Frazer). She was educated at Catholic schools in Dublin, Paris, and London (Convent of the Sacred Heart, Roehampton, where a fellow student was fellow future actressVivien Leigh). Even as a schoolgirl, Maureen desired an acting career, despite her father's initial opposition. She studied hard and read widely. When the opportunity to be an actress came along, it almost dropped in her lap. American film directorFrank Borzage was in Dublin in 1929, filmingWaga kokoro no uta (1930), when the 18 year old met him. He suggested a screen test, which she took. The results were more than favorable and she won the substantial role of Eileen O'Brien, then went to Hollywood to complete filming.

Once in sunny California, Maureen wasted no time landing roles in other films such asJust Imagine (1930),The Princess and the Plumber (1930), andSo This Is London (1930). She was perhaps MGM's most popular ingenue throughout the 1930s in a number of non-Tarzan vehicles. In 1932, she teamed up with Olympic medal winnerJohnny Weissmuller for the first time inTarzan the Ape Man (1932), as Jane Parker. Five other Tarzan films followed, the last beingTarzan's New York Adventure (1942). The Tarzan epics rank as one of the most memorable series ever made. Most people agree that those movies would not have been as successful as they were, had it not been for the talent, grace, and radiant beauty of O'Sullivan. But she was more than Jane Parker. She went on to roles in such films asThe Flame Within (1935),The Personal History, Adventures, Experience, & Observation of David Copperfield the Younger (1935), andAnna Karenina (1935). She turned in another fine performance inPride and Prejudice (1940). After the 1940s, however, she made fewer films, primarily for personal reasons, i.e. caring for her large family.

It isn't always easy to walk away from a lucrative career, but O'Sullivan did because she wanted to devote more time to her husband,John Farrow, an Australian-American writer, and their seven children: Michael, Patrick, Maria (a.k.a.Mia Farrow), John, Prudence, Theresa (a.k.a.Tisa Farrow), andStephanie Farrow. The couple were married from 1936 until his death in 1963. After her last Tarzan venture she asked for release from her contract to care for her husband who had just left the U.S. Navy with typhoid. She did not retire completely and still found time to make occasional movies and television programs, as well as operate a bridal consulting service (Wediquette International).

O'Sullivan made her Broadway debut oppositePaul Ford in "Never Too Late" (November 27, 1962-April 24, 1965), a great success. She would appear on Broadway again in various vehicles through 1981, and later also co-produced two Broadway productions. Later movie patrons remember her as Elizabeth Alvorg inPegii Su no kekkon (1986) (playing opposite fellow silver screen film veteranLeon Ames). Her final celluloid role was inGood Old Boy: A Delta Boyhood (1988). Some made-for-television movies followed and she retired completely in 1996, two years before her death in Scottsdale, Arizona on June 23, 1998 during heart surgery. She was 87 years old.