Deanne Bray

Hometown: Bray was born in Canoga Park, Calif. She lived in Seattle, Wash., for a few years with her mom, but most of her life Bray spent in southern California.

Family: Bray is married to Troy Kotsur who is also deaf. He is an actor who will appear in episode six of "Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye." The couple has been married for just more than a year now. Bray said, "My husband has been supportive with anything I do with my teaching and acting career." Bray continued by describing how other people were instrumental in her life. Her mother was her teacher and helped her develop academic skills. Her father showed her the world and taught her different cultures and how to reach out to all kinds of people. According to Bray, "Most of my friends from the Deaf community, along with my hearing family, shaped me into who I am today."

Disability: Bray was born with a severe hearing loss from an unknown cause that doctors surmise might have been German measles. She is deaf in her right ear with some residual hearing in her left ear. Bray uses one hearing aid for her left ear. Her hearing aid helps Bray hear people's voices and read lips simultaneously. Another way she communicates is through American Sign Language.

Employment: Bray first became involved with acting as a young adult when she was discovered performing with a dance group for people who are deaf, called, "Prism West." Among her acting credits are guest appearances on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Ellen" and "Diagnosis Murder."

In addition to being the actress starring in the new PAX series "Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye," Bray teaches deaf and hard of hearing children.

Hobbies: Bray enjoys reading, reading with deaf children, as well as going to Deaf community functions, like interacting with deaf senior citizens and listening to their stories.

Favorite quote: Bray chooses the African proverb: "It takes a village to raise a child."

Greatest accomplishment in life: As a teacher, Bray said, it has always been rewarding to guide students to understand science and math concepts. She explained that she also considers the Sue Thomas series to be a teaching assignment for the hearing community. Her work with veteran deaf actresses at Deaf West Theatre in California and National Theatre of the Deaf (NTD) in Connecticut has been a rich experience that makes her proud.

Role models: Phyllis Frelich, Linda Bove and Freda Norman are the veteran deaf actresses Bray said she respects. Her family members are people she considers role models. Sue Thomas, the FBI agent who inspired the PAX series, is someone she described as a "spiritual mentor who teaches me about God."

Finding her identity

Deanne Bray said she has never in her life been sad that she has hearing loss. Still, dealing with people who feel sorry for her because she is deaf has been a challenge. Bray credited her parents for taking her to deaf camps and exposing her to Deaf culture as a child, so she was able to find her identity at a young age.

Since she has never had hearing, Bray explained that she has never felt like an outsider. The fact that she is able to speak verbally as well as communicate through American Sign Language poses a constant dichotomy for her. People with hearing loss question whether she embraces Deaf culture, and people with hearing question why others who are deaf do not speak as well as Bray. She resolves the conflict for herself by recognizing, "I have the worst in both worlds, but I do have the best in both, as well."

Growing as an actress

Most of Bray's growth in acting with Deaf West Theatre has been through American Sign Language. Four years ago, the artistic director there encouraged her to audition for a role where she could use spoken English. Bray hired a voice coach to help her say her lines fluently and to find areas where to breathe and how to deliver her lines emotionally through her voice. "I gained confidence after doing the role with Phyllis Frelich as my mother in 'Road to Revolution,'" Bray said. "Doing this broadened my abilities in what I can do in my acting career."

In the new PAX series, "Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye," Bray appreciates that her character, the FBI's first female agent who was deaf, Sue Thomas, embraces both hearing and Deaf cultures. She explained, "Sue Thomas is a deaf individual who is a good advocate for herself and knows her needs and yet can work in a hearing environment." Bray continued: "She is a person who lives her life to the fullest. She is like a big sister to me, and I find her a phenomenal human being."

Appreciating people's differences

Bray tries to constantly remind and teach the writers, crew and cast what it is like to work with someone who is deaf. "I am hoping and encouraging that other deaf and hard of hearing characters will be in the show every now and then, so the hearing viewers will understand there are different kinds of deaf individuals," she said. Some read lips and some speak verbally, but Bray emphasized that people who are deaf have different backgrounds.

She may be acting in Sue Thomas's story, but according to Bray, the dramatic show depicts many areas where she feels she can relate to Sue. "This series focuses more on what the deaf individual CAN do, rather than cannot do," she said. "I am a proud member of the Deaf community. I am learning every day from the character and the real Sue Thomas how to reach out and open my heart more to the hearing community."