The attack was among the earliest to bring attention to celebrity stalking and the fine line between being a fan and unsafe fanaticism.
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Theresa launched her activism by bravely portraying her own violent attack as she played herself in the 1984 TV-movie “Victims for Victims: The Theresa Saldana Story” (as pictured above). Saldana’s work on the show earned her a Golden Globe nomination for supporting actress in 1993. Her memoir, Beyond Survival, was published in 1987.
Palmer said afterwards: “If a girl can get through being butchered nearly to death, if one can do that, then nearly anything is surmountable”. Her death was first reported by TMZ.
Her TV credits included “T.J”.
“I have such good memories of working with her on ‘Raging Bull, ‘ and I always admired the way that she handled the horrifying attack by a stalker – the good that she made of it”, Scorsese said. Years later, she would co-star along with Robert De Niro in “Raging Bull”, a film by Martin Scorcese. “Hooker”, “Cagney & Lacey”, “Simon & Simon”, “Matlock”, “Hunter”, “Falcon Crest” and “MacGyver“.
Saldana famously portrayed the Police Commissioner’s wife in 1990s TV comedy The Commish, opposite Michael Chiklis.
He tweeted: “Painful to hear the news of Theresa’s passing. My family and I extend our love, condolences & support to her family in their time of grieving”.
When Theresa Saldana was stalked, then stabbed, by an obsessed fan, she was 27 years old. Her Scottish-born attacker, Arthur R. Jackson, had attempted to reach her via agents in both NY and Los Angeles, eventually finding her whereabouts from a family member in NY and representing himself as someone working for Scorsese. The attack was stopped by a then-water deliveryman, Jeff Fenn, who held the man for police. Jackson died in 2004.
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Theresa Saldana leaves the Beverly Hills court building where she had given testimony during a preliminary hearing in 1982 of Arthur Richard Jackson, who was later convicted of attempted murder.
