Deaf actress Shaylee Mansfield is featured in the sixth season of DreamWorks Madagascar: A Little Wild in a “sign over” performance, one of the first in a kids animated series. The character is named and modeled after Shaylee and was animated by using a video reference of Shaylee performing for animators to model from, building upon the previous five seasons featuring ASL and deaf characters. Like series favorites Dave and Pickles, Shaylee’s character uses American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate, expanding inclusivity and promoting awareness of ASL.
Watch the below featurette highlighting the process used by actor Shaylee Mansfield alongside Delbert Whetter, Jevon Whetter and Justin Maurer, who serve as ASL consultants on the series.
Shaylee began her career as a deaf YouTuber with the goal of inspiring families and children worldwide to learn ASL. As an actress, she works to show authenticity to the deaf community and expand awareness for ASL through her performances.
Here are some of her signing clips: