Terrylene Sacchetti (born February 5, 1967) is a deaf actress from Chicago, Illinois. She graduated from the Model Secondary School for the Deaf in 1985.[2]

Terrylene Sacchetti
Born
Terrylene Theriot[1]

(1967-02-05) February 5, 1967 (age 57)
NationalityAmerican
OccupationActress
Known forDeaf Actress
Notable workNatural Born Killers (1994)
Children2
Websiteterrylene.com Edit this at Wikidata

Her most well known work in the film industry is for Natural Born Killers (1994), After Image (2001) and Listen Carefully (1991). She is also known in the deaf community for her advocacy for the right to sign language and early intervention for deaf infants.

Personal life

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Terrylene is from a fourth generation deaf family.[3]

She was in a relationship with Robert Manganelli, a film maker until around 2008. They had two children, Gianni (Gio) Manganelli and Catalene Robin Manganelli. Gio died in March 2014.[4] In the wake of his death, she has been vocal about the lack of access to mental health care for deaf persons.[5]

Career

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Deaf rights

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In 1994, a Los Angeles Burger King drive-up window refused to fill Terrylene's order that she tried to give in writing. She sued Burger King for discrimination and was hired as a consultant to help implement electronic ordering devices for the deaf.[6][7]

Deaf education

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Terrylene launched "Clerc's Children". An online bilingual (English/ASL) educational website for families with deaf infants and toddlers. [2][8]

Deaf art

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Terrylene is "co-founder and executive director of the Deaf Arts Council (DAC)".[3]

She held that position for five years. At that time she received a Department of Education grant of $350,000 and an additional donation of $500,000 from film studios in Hollywood to fund this project.[9] She also received a grant to do a deaf film making summer camp.[10]

Filmography

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In 1999 she appeared together with her son in an Oreo's commercial. The commercial shows the two of them discussing in ASL the various ways of eating an Oreo cookie.[11][12]

[13]

Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2002 Shadow Realm Sandra McLennan TV movie
2001 After Image Laura
1998 Legalese Carol Appler TV movie
1994 Natural Born Killers Julie
1991 Listen Carefully Christa

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2007 Saving Grace Woman on Bench Episode: "This is Way Too Normal for You"
2005 Veronica Mars Mary Mooney Episode: My Mother, the Fiend
2003 Angel Deaf Woman Episode: The Magic Bullet
2002 Night Visions Sandra McClinnon Episode: Voices
1999 Once and Again Bookstore Woman Episode: The Gingerbread House
1999 ER Gwen's Mother Episode: Nobody Doesn't Like Amanda Lee
1998 Pacific Blue Tara Episode: Broken Dreams
1992 Doogie Howser, M.D. Julia Myatt Episode: Doogie, Can You Hear Me?
1987-1990 Beauty and the Beast Laura Williams Recurring role (4 episodes)
1987 Cagney & Lacey Michelle Bennet Episode: Right to Remain Silent

Awards and recognition

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  • 2013, received a $2,500 grant from Deafhood Foundation for her educational website "Clerc's Children" [14]
  • 1997, Best Performance, Dramalogue for Sweet Nothing in My Ear
  • 1996, Christopher Reeve Scholarship, The Valdez Award (Drama)
  • 1994, "Woman of the Year" in recognition of her achievements as an equal rights advocate by the city of Los Angeles

[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Terrylene (Terrylene Theriot Sacchetti)". Gallaudet University Library Guide to Deaf Biographies and Index to Deaf Periodicals. Retrieved 2022-12-30.
  2. ^ a b "Deaf Actress Terrylene, MSSD Alumna, Visits MSSD". Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-07-03.
  3. ^ a b c "Deaf Jam". New Day Films. Jul 16, 2014. Retrieved Oct 30, 2019.
  4. ^ "Family site". Family site. Retrieved Oct 30, 2019.
  5. ^ "Our Beautiful Son, Gianni Manganelli". Retrieved Oct 30, 2019 – via www.youtube.com.
  6. ^ "LOS ANGELES : Deaf Woman Sues Burger King, Is Hired as Consultant". Los Angeles Times. Apr 2, 1994. Retrieved Oct 30, 2019.
  7. ^ "Burger King to Test Devices to Help Deaf People Order : Lawsuits: Settlement follows Santa Monica woman's charge that she was refused service because she could not hear". Los Angeles Times. Apr 2, 1994. Retrieved Oct 30, 2019.
  8. ^ "Workshop Presenter Bios | National Association of the Deaf". Archived from the original on 2014-07-02. Retrieved 2014-07-03.
  9. ^ "EHDI Annual Meeting". ehdimeeting.org. Retrieved Oct 30, 2019.
  10. ^ "CNN - Youngsters learn movie-making craft without hearing a word - August 14, 1996". www.cnn.com. Retrieved Oct 30, 2019.
  11. ^ "Worth 1,000 Words". www.adweek.com. Retrieved Oct 30, 2019.
  12. ^ "Companies Boost Number of Deaf Actors Appearing in Commercials". Los Angeles Times. Dec 3, 1999. Retrieved Oct 30, 2019.
  13. ^ "Terrylene". IMDb. Retrieved Oct 30, 2019.
  14. ^ "Deafhood Foundation Awards Two Grants of $2,500 each to Clerc's Children and Deaf Spotlight | the Deafhood Foundation Vlog". Archived from the original on 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-07-03.

Further reading

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See also

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  1. ^ Seitchik, Sofia (2018). The light of deaf women : inspirational stories from visionaries, artists, founders & entrepreneurs (First ed.). Global Deaf Women Inc. pp. 132–133. ISBN 978-1-54391-972-1.