| Terrylene Sacchetti | |
| Birth Name: | Terrylene Theriot[1] |
| Birth Date: | 5 February 1967 |
| Nationality: | American |
| Occupation: | Actress |
| Known For: | Deaf Actress |
| Notable Works: | Natural Born Killers (1994) |
| Children: | 2 |
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]
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.
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]
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]
Terrylene launched "Clerc's Children". An online bilingual (English/ASL) educational website for families with deaf infants and toddlers.[2] [8]
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]
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]
| 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 |
| 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 |