Biographie
Jennifer Delora was born on March 2, 1962, in Upstate New York's Hudson Valley. Growing up, she was deeply involved in horseback riding and showing horses, and participated in Brownies, Girl Scouts, and 4-H. A competitive Judo champion, she earned numerous trophies, ribbons, and titles including Jr. Olympics and Jr. Nationals, and was a member of the USAA for both Judo and swimming. She was also a New York State Champion swimmer and became a certified lifeguard at 12. Starting dance at age 5, she performed as a "Schupplattler" from age 9. Jennifer wrote her first play in second grade, sang in choir—winning a vocal music award in sixth grade—and was selected for the prestigious "Select Choir" in junior high, which recorded an album in 1975 and won multiple competitions.
From age four, Jennifer aspired to be a "star," beginning her career as a snowflake in kindergarten. In high school, she was a cheerleader and made history at Kingston High School as one of the first two junior girls chosen for Varsity Cheerleading, a role traditionally reserved for seniors. She won state and national cheerleading competitions three consecutive years and earned the Spirit Stick at a national cheerleading camp. In junior high, she was active on the math team, debate team, and competed in public speaking through high school. Throughout her education, she performed in numerous school plays and also acted in productions at the local community college and regional theaters starting at age 14.
During her teenage years, Jennifer directed and choreographed various community productions and pageants. She competed in pageants such as Miss Teen Ulster County, Miss Adirondack Teen, Miss Manhattan, and was Miss Murray Hill in the Miss Big Apple competition. She has judged numerous teen and adult pageants, including serving as a celebrity judge for Miss Deaf America.
An over-achiever from childhood to adulthood, Jennifer was involved in nearly every school club, including yearbook, newspaper, poetry publications, and student government. Popular among her peers, she was invited to be a soloist at her senior year’s "May Day" and starred in every school play and musical. At her 20th high school reunion, she enjoyed reconnecting with friends and signing autographs for fellow alumni.
Jennifer was an early admissions student at Ulster County Community College (now SUNY Ulster) beginning in her junior year, majoring in Theatre Arts. At 17, she was inducted into the national theatre honor society, Delta Psi Omega. She starred in productions such as *Harvey*, *No, No Nanette*, vaudeville shows, summer stock, and *That's Musical Comedy II*. Simultaneously, she remained active in community theatre across Upstate New York’s tri-county area, participating in Renaissance festivals and directing and choreographing for local high schools, often managing two shows at once. After winning Miss Ulster County, she toured the southern U.S. youth theatre circuit with *Beauty and the Beast*.
At 17, Jennifer appeared as a featured extra in the PBS film *The Greatest Man in the World*. Warner Bros. later invited her for a guest role as "girl at phone" in *Soup for One*. She then moved to New York City, attending the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts while performing in off-off and off-Broadway dramas, comedies, and musicals. Her roles ranged from Nurse Kelly in *Harvey* to Ado Annie in *Oklahoma!*, playing Miep and later Anne Frank in *The Diary of Anne Frank*, Mazeppa in *Gypsy*, and Jenny in *Everything in the Garden*, the latter performed both in NYC and in a mixed hearing and deaf cast in Los Angeles.
After more than 30 stage productions, Jennifer earned her first starring film role as Lisa in *Bad Girls Dormitory* (1986). At 24, she entered the Miss America Preliminary in Ulster County, winning the title as she turned 25 at midnight. She also won the talent competition with a musical song and dance medley and was named Miss Congeniality. However, approximately three months later, she became only the second woman in Miss America history to be de-crowned.
Since then, Jennifer has appeared in a wide range of genres, from horror to comedy, including the Playboy Channel series *Electric Blue*. Her starring roles include comedies like *New York's Finest*, *Sensations*, *Sexpot*, and *Young Nurses in Love*, as well as horror/thrillers such as *Deranged*, *Fright House*, *Deadly Manor*, *Phantasy*, and the cult classic horror spoof *Frankenhooker*. She earned an Emmy nomination for her role as a Deaf nun in *Breaking Through* alongside JoBeth Williams and Kellie Martin, also serving as a technical advisor and receiving multiple awards for her work. Jennifer has worked with Ann-Margret in the CBS movie-of-the-week *Blue Rodeo* (1996), which also starred Kris Kristofferson.
Dr. Delora has built an award-winning career through her experience of losing her hearing and earning two doctorates. She is a respected "Specialty Technical Advisor," executive produced the award-winning film *Vanishing Point*, worked on TV shows including *Ellen*, and hosted her own talk/informational program, *Deaf Perspectives*. She holds two doctorates, is a distinguished member, lecturer, and writer for the American Board of Disability Analysts, has taught at NYU, instructed many celebrities in sign language, and leads her deaf theatre company, LA Bridges Theatre Co of the Deaf, alongside her award-winning all-deaf youth choir, Bridges Sign Choir. Her company, AccessDeaf Consulting, has earned multiple awards. Jennifer has published over 30 articles in journals including Antioch University publications, ADBA, Deaf magazines, and Emmy Magazine, which named her "the most remarkable actor in Hollywood" that year.
Jennifer once held the record as the oldest woman ranked #3 in the MySpace Bowio top 100, out-aging other women by 15 to 25 years, a record she maintained before and after turning 45. She looks 30, feels great, and says she’s thriving better than in her 30s.
Known as the "Queen of the B's," "Icon of Fright," and "Scream Queen," Jennifer is a versatile actress with credits spanning horror films, television movies, and series such as the children's show *Jay Jay the Jet Plane*.
Beyond acting, Jennifer possesses a genius IQ and holds two PhDs. Beginning her BA at age 30, she finished with a 4.5 GPA, completing her first doctorate by 34. Currently, she is developing several scripts under consideration by production companies, working on her autobiography, and creating a Sign Language book and DVD featuring her copyrighted system for all ages, branded as "the fastest and easiest way to learn ASL and write it with a simple 3-D format."
She enjoys meeting fans during shows and remains committed to them, crediting her supporters for her continued success.
Jennifer rides a large motorcycle through Los Angeles streets wearing a bikini top and cutoffs, loves cliff diving, and is a 4.0-rated tennis player. She actively participates in charity work supporting children and victims of domestic violence, volunteers with the Special Olympics since age 12, and enjoys golf and tennis.
An inspirational speaker nationwide, Jennifer dedicates time to teaching, volunteering, and various activities that keep her life vibrant. She frequently encounters fans of all ages wherever she goes.
This multi-talented actress, writer, sign performer, singer, technical advisor, teacher, professor, volunteer, tennis and golf player, and celebrity phenomenon continuously reinvents herself, contributing richly to entertainment and Deaf culture.
