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Sam Murphy
Malina Dravis-Tucker
AM 145 Tue/Thur
Project 3
April 11, 2016

Marlee Matlinn

Marlee Matlin is an acclaimed actor, known for leading the way in breaking down the
barriers that Deaf actors face and showing that the only thing Deaf people cant do is hear.
Shes won a handful of prestigious awards and been nominated for dozens of others. Matlins
been on television, in movies, and on stage in regional shows and Broadway, and has done
comedy and guest appearances amongst some of the greatest hearing actors and comedians. She
also does an incredible amount of charity work and philanthropy with children - specifically,
children with HIV/AIDS and bringing them support and medical care.
Matlin was born on August 24th, 1965 in Illinois, and contracted measles at 18 months,
which left her almost entirely deaf. She was mainstreamed, going to hearing schools for all her
early education. Matlin has also talked about how her parents learned a little sign language, but
never really became fluent - however, she wasnt pressured to go through oralism or had signing
suppressed. She would - and still does, on occasion - wear hearing aids, and will sometimes
speak in shows or television appearances. She got her start in acting after playing Dorothy with a
local theater company that brought together hearing and Deaf kids to produce shows together,

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and continued to act in the Chicago scene while pursuing her degree in law enforcement at
Harper College.
She came into popular knowledge with the film Children of a Lesser God. Matlin had
played the lead role onstage previously, and caught some attention with it that led producers to
approach her about reprising the role. She went on to win an Oscar for Best Actress, becoming
the youngest person at the time to win - only 21 years old - as well as the first and only Deaf
actress to win. After her Oscar win, she continued to act in film and television, and kept winning
awards. All in all, shes been nominated for 27 awards, which includes four Emmys, two Golden
Globes, two Peoples Choice Awards, and a SAG award, and has won five other awards, with
one being a Golden Globe for Children. She caused a stir the year after her Oscar win, however,
when she was asked to return as a presenter. Matlin began her introduction signing, but began
speaking when she came to the names - a gesture that raised mix reactions Deaf communities.
While some were hailing her for even being present at the Oscars and celebrating that the
Academy invited her, others were criticizing her choice to speak and said that it devalued her
Deafness and sent a message that only the Deaf who could also speak were the good ones or
worth hearing peoples time. However, Matlin handled it with grace, and was still mostly praised
and loved for her time at the Oscars.
While she works pretty consistently and in a wide variety of roles, Matlin has some
particularly notable work thats stood out to both Deaf communities and mainstream media at
large. She was on three seasons of The L Word, playing a Deaf lesbian artist and teacher. The
show explored the intersectionality of queer identity and deafness and the unique challenges that
posed for an otherwise largely ignored part of the lesbian and gay community. Later, she
competed on Dancing With the Stars, garnering attention by people asking the infamous question

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- if she cant hear the music, how can she dance? But Matlin proved again that its no barrier
for Deaf people, coming in 7th place on the show. More recently, shes had a main role on the
show Switched at Birth, a show about a family mixed with Deaf and hearing family members.
While critics and fans alike will point out the flaws in the show and how it shows sign language
and portrays Deaf people, its still a lovely example of the personal family relationships and the
strains that come about due to communication and cultural barriers between hearing and Deaf
folk. This year, Matlin interpreted the national anthem at the Super Bowl, and has just closed a
run on Broadway with the revival of Spring Awakening, a reimagining by Deaf West of the hit
musical with Deaf characters that incorporates sign language into all the songs and large parts of
the dialogue.
Today, she lives with her husband and three children, and continues to act as well as
writing books and working for charities in her free time. Shes written three books aimed for
Deaf children about positivity, acceptance, and encouraging kids to embrace their deafness and
not feel limited by it. Matlins philanthropy is largely focused on the Children Affected by AIDS
Foundation and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, two charities that bring
HIV/AIDS treatment and relief to children and their families that are dealing with the disease.
Shes an incredibly powerful and influential force in the world of television, film, and theater,
and everything she does stays very true to that core belief: the only thing Deaf people cant do
is hear.

Works Cited

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"Marlee Matlin." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. <http://
www.biography.com/people/marlee-matlin-212179#branching-out>.

"Marlee Matlin." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004, "Matlin, Marlee 1965."

Contemporary Theatre, Film; Television. 2005, and "Matlin, Marlee 1965."
Something

About the Author. 2008. "Marlee Matlin." Encyclopedia.com. HighBeam

Research, 01

Jan. 2004. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. <http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/

Marlee_Matlin.aspx>.

"MarleeNet." MarleeNet. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. <http://www.marleematlin.net/>.

Wilson, David S. "Deaf Actress's Use of Speech Proves Divisive Among Peers." The New York
Times. The New York Times, 12 Apr. 1988. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. <http://
www.nytimes.com/1988/04/13/us/deaf-actress-s-use-of-speech-provesdivisive-among-

peers.html>.