Theresa Saldana, the Raging Bull actress who survived a stalker’s attack to become a crime victim’s advocate and reclaimed her entertainment career in TV, has died at 61. She had been suffering from pneumonia.

The actress co-starred in the 1991-1996 drama The Commish. Her most notable role was opposite Joe Pesci in Raging Bull, Martin Scorsese’s 1980 film starring Robert De Niro.

In 1982, Saldana was repeatedly stabbed by an obsessed man in front ofher West Hollywood apartment. The attack was stopped by a then-water deliveryman, Jeff Fenn, who held the man for police.

Saldana, who endured a prolonged stay in hospital, was both physically and mentally scarred and received treatment for both problems.

She and actor Phil Peters, who had a recurring role on The Commish as police sergeant William Frawley, married in 1989 and had a daughter, Tianna.

Her first film appearances came in 1978 with I Wanna Hold Your Hand and Nunzio.

Her TV credits included TJ Hooker and Matlock in the early and mid-1980s, Diagnosis: Murder in the 1990s and The Bernie Mac Show in 2003.