# Deanne Bray

Deanne Bray (born May 14, 1971) is an American actress. Bray was born deaf and is bilingual in American Sign Language and British Sign Language. She is also known as Deanne Bray-Kotsur.

## Early life and education

Bray was born in Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California and has spent most of her life in southern California being raised by her father, though she lived in Seattle 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 American Sign Language 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, where she earned a bachelor's degree in biology. 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, 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, the first deaf male actor to win an Academy Award. On September 8, 2005, they had a daughter, Kyra Monique Kotsur.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1996 | What Do Women Want | Sharon | |
| 2005 | Last Mountain | Blonde Annie | |
| 2007 | I See the Crowd Roar: The Story of William Dummy Hoy | Anna | Documentary short |
| 2008 | Universal Signs | Natalie | |
| 2013 | No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie | ASL Advocate | |
2016 Wild Prairie Rose.

### Theatre

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2018 | Arrival and Departure | Emily | Theater |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1995 | Ed McBain's 87th Precinct: Lightning | Teddy Franklin | TV film |
| 1996 | The Pretender | Deaf Woman | Episode: "Flyer" |
| 1997 | Ellen | Juliet | Episode: "Ellen's Deaf Comedy Jam" |
| 1997 | Diagnosis: Murder | Jan Curran | Episode: "Murder, Country Style" |
| 2001 | Strong Medicine | Sonny | Episode: "Fix" |
| 2001 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Dr. Gilbert | Episode: "Sounds of Silence" |
| 2002–2005 | Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye | Sue Thomas | Lead role (56 episodes) |
| 2003 | L.A. Sheriff's Homicide | Technician | TV film |
| 2006 | Rescue Me | RoseMary | Episode: "Hell" |
| 2007 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Dean Price | Episode: "Silencer" |
| 2007 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Jean | Episode: "The Rat Dog" |
| 2007 | The L Word | Amy Reed | Episodes: "Lacy Lilting Lyrics", "Little Boy Blue" |
| 2008 | The L Word | Amy Reed | Episodes: "Lesbians Gone Wild", "Lay Down the Law" |
| 2008 | Sweet Nothing in My Ear | Dr. Walters | TV film |
| 2009–2010 | Heroes | Emma Coolidge | Recurring role (9 episodes) |
| 2013 | 2 Broke Girls | Joanne | Episode: "And Not-So-Sweet Charity" |
| 2014 | Grey's Anatomy | Nicole | Episode: "Go It Alone" |
| 2014 | Switched at Birth | Dean of Gallaudet | Episode: "It Isn't What You Think" |
| 2017 | Veep | Julie | Episode: "Qatar" |
| 2022 | Santa Bootcamp | Olive | TV film |