‘Raging Bull,’ ‘Commish’ actress Theresa Saldana, dies at 61

The Los Angeles Times reports that actress Theresa Saldana, known for movies including “Raging Bull” and “I Wanna Hold Your Hand,” and her Golden Globe-nominated work on TV’s “The Commish,” has died after an illness, according to a family member. She was 61.

According to the online obit: “Ms. Saldana was perhaps best known for surviving a knife attack by a disturbed fan outside her West Hollywood apartment in 1982 in which she was stabbed 10 times. The attack was among the earliest to bring attention to celebrity stalking and the fine line between being a fan and dangerous fanaticism. She later portrayed herself in a made-for-TV biopic of her life and the stabbing incident.”

Ms. Saldana’s career grew following her role as Joe Pesce’s wife in Martin Scorsese’s iconic 1980 boxing film “Raging Bull,” which starred Robert De Niro as legendary fighter Jake LaMotta. Numerous guest starring roles in television series soon followed. She was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1994 for her recurring role as Rachel Scali, the wife of Michael Chiklis’ title character, police commissioner Tony Scali, on the ABC hit series “The Commish.”

She is survived by her husband Phil Peters, and daughter Tianna Peters.