Famous Deaf Actress

A Hardworking Deaf Actress
Q: Who is one of the best-known actresses in deaf Hollywood, and has increased her name recognition in both the deaf and hearing worlds?
A: Marlee Matlin.

Marlee Matlin, who burst onto the scene years ago with her performance in the feature film Children of a Lesser God (for which she won an academy award), has continued to build her resume ever since.

Like any celebrity, Matlin's personal life is grist for the press. ParentTime did an interview with Matlin. The births of her children have also been reported in the media, including People magazine. She has also been featured in many interviews in themedia.

Matlin has already appeared in numerous films, but it is her television roles that have most increased awareness of Matlin in the hearing world. Her newest television role is as a lesbian on Showtime's "The L Word." She appeared in E.R. as a sign language instructor, and her "Reasonable Doubts" program was popular when it was on the air.

Her starring role on "Reasonable Doubts" earned her an appearance on the cover of Deaf Life magazine (October 1991). Another of her popular television programs was "Picket Fences." In addition, Matlin has made numerous guest appearances on television programs. Despite being well-known and having a track record as an actress, Matlin had experienced difficulty obtaining the roles she wanted -- she wanted to play characters that just happen to have a hearing loss -- and so she created her own projects. She has her own production company, Solo One.

Lifetime Television has aired one of her projects, "Where The Truth Lies." Matlin has also tried her hand at authorship, and wrote "Deaf Child Crossing," achildren's fiction story about the friendship between a deaf girl and a hearing girl.