Deanne Bray (born May 14, 1971) is an American actress. Bray was born

deaf Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...

and is multilingual in

American Sign Language American Sign Language (ASL) is a natural language that serves as the predominant sign language of Deaf communities in the United States and most of Anglophone Canadians, Anglophone Canada. ASL is a complete and organized visual language that i ...

, British Sign Language, and English. She is also known as Deanne Bray-Kotsur.

Early life and education

Bray was born in

Canoga Park Canoga Park is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles, California. Before the Mexican–American War, the district was part of a rancho, and after the American victory it was converted into wheat farms and ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

and has spent most of her life in southern California being raised by her father, though she lived in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

for a few years with her mother and attended Washington State School for the Deaf for grade 8. Bray's father knew some basic ASL, but her mother chose not to learn to sign at all. Bray's parents made certain their daughter was instructed from an early age to speak and write English and learn

as well, sending her through a variety of learning programs and centers to strengthen her language skills. A California native, Bray broke into the entertainment industry after she was discovered performing with a deaf dancing group called "Prism West" at a Deaf festival at

California State University, Northridge California State University, Northridge (CSUN or Cal State Northridge), is a public university in the Northridge neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. With a total enrollment of 36,848 students (as of Fall 2024), it has the ...

, where she earned a bachelor's degree in

biology Biology is the scientific study of life and living organisms. It is a broad natural science that encompasses a wide range of fields and unifying principles that explain the structure, function, growth, History of life, origin, evolution, and ...

. She received a master's degree in sign language education in 2013.

Career

Bray is best known for her role as Sue Thomas in the show '' Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye'' and has also had a recurring role as Emma Coolidge on ''

Heroes Heroes or Héroes may refer to: * Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good Film * ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama * ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film Gaming * ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...

,'' as well as being a co-host with Missy Keast on the DVD ''Your Pregnancy: What To Expect,'' a comprehensive resource for pregnant deaf and hard of hearing women. Bray is also an advocate for improving early childhood education for deaf children and is a spokesperson for Language Equality and Acquisition for Deaf Kids ( LEAD-K). Bray taught American Sign Language (ASL) at Oak Park High School in Oak Park, California, from 2013 to 2021.

Personal life

Bray is married to

Troy Kotsur Troy Michael Kotsur (; born July 24, 1968) is an American actor. Born deaf, Kotsur made his acting debut in the late 1980s working with the National Theatre of the Deaf. His television debut was in a 2001 episode of ''Strong Medicine''. His film ...

, the first deaf male actor to win an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

. On September 8, 2005, they had a daughter, Kyra Monique Kotsur.

Filmography

Film

2016 Wild Prairie Rose.

Theatre

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bray, Deanne 1971 births Living people 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Los Angeles American deaf actresses American film actresses American television actresses California State University, Northridge alumni People from Canoga Park, Los Angeles