Mary Cunningham appeared on Coronation Street in three roles:
- Mrs Harper, one of several local residents opposed to the planned opening of the Graffiti Club and mother of brick-throwing vandal, Neil, who appeared in April 1983
- Jean Casey, mother of garage mechanic Mark Casey, appearing in June 1989 and October 1990
- Sandra Hesketh, daughter of the late Sidney Templeton, appearing between August and September 1999.
She also appeared as Mrs Zigman in Fitness Freaks, an episode the programme's spin-off The Brothers McGregor, transmitted in April 1986.
Her other credits include roles in Crown Court, Horace, Brookside, Scully, The Practice, Children's Ward, In Suspicious Circumstances, Hearts and Minds, And the Beat Goes On, Touching Evil, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Hollyoaks, Outlaws and The Street, along with the TV movies My Beautiful Son, Flesh and Blood, The Booze Cruise, Indian Dream, Reversals and the 2003 feature film Wondrous Oblivion.
On stage, she appeared in productions of A Touch of the Red Noses, Old Mother Hubbard, Spring and Port Wine, The House of Bernarda Alba and The Dirty Hill.
