I'm a formerly deaf actress known primarily for hearing roles. Born with a hereditary, progressive hearing loss, my hearing rapidly declined. By age 12, I was considered profoundly deaf.

I made my network TV debut in ABC’s “Gideon's Crossing” opposite Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin, portraying a deaf teen at odds with her parents over cochlear implants. Life imitated art for me, as shortly after the show aired, I underwent life-altering bilateral cochlear implant surgery. 

I consider my former deafness a gift to my craft. When one sense is absent, the other senses are heightened immensely. I had to become such an intense listener by necessity. In conversation, I was hyper focused on facial cues and body language to fill in the gaps when words were unclear and provide context clues in order to react appropriately. My superpower is “hearing” beyond the spoken. It’s authentic acting gold. I’m very lucky!
 

My essence:

nurturing, driven, tortured

 

My casting:

• Keywords: Ethnically ambiguous, Indigenous, authentic, warm, real, disabled, expressive face, great with improv

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• Mom: struggling single mom, successful entrepreneur, down-to-earth commercial mom, wise flashback mom, devoutly religious mom

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• Advice-giver: therapist, spiritual advisor, doctor/nurse

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• Small town, blue collar: often with Southern roots 

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• Law enforcement: as the real child of two former POs

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• Deceptively sweet woman with a dark side