Line #27 Creator/MarleeMatlin


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gty_marlee_matlin_jef_140428_16x9_992.jpg]]
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3	Marlee Beth Matlin (born August 24, 1965) is an American actress. She is notable for being deaf and frequently [[DisabledCharacterDisabledActor cast as deaf characters]].
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5	She won the [[MediaNotes/AcademyAwardForBestActressInALeadingRole Academy Award for Best Actress]] for her debut film performance in ''Film/ChildrenOfALesserGod''. Apart from being the first deaf winner, she was also the youngest person in history to win in that category at the age of 21, a record she still holds. She also made history at the Tony Awards in 2016 for being the first deaf presenter for a show's performance, introducing the show in which she was making her Broadway debut, a Deaf West production of ''Theatre/SpringAwakening.''
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7	Although Matlin (almost) always plays deaf characters, they will usually speak English for at least part of their screen time, either for dramatic or comedic effect as appropriate. This (naturally) reflects Matlin's own fluency in spoken English.
8	----
9	!!Filmography:
10	* ''Film/ChildrenOfALesserGod'' (1987)
11	* ''Film/{{Walker}}'' (1987)
12	* ''Series/ReasonableDoubts'' (1991-1993)
13	* ''Film/HearNoEvil'' (1993)
14	* ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' (1993)
15	* ''Series/PicketFences'' (1993-1996)
16	* ''Film/ItsMyParty'' (1996)
17	* ''Series/TheWestWing'' (2000-2006)
18	* ''Film/KissMyAct'' (2001)
19	* ''WesternAnimation/BluesClues'' (2002-2003)
20	* ''Series/BabyEinstein'' (2005-2007)
21	* ''Series/MyNameIsEarl'' (2006-2007)
22	* ''Series/TheLWord'' (2007-2009)
23	* ''Series/DancingWithTheStars'' (2008)
24	* ''[[Series/TheApprentice Celebrity Apprentice]]'' (2011-2012)
25	* ''Series/SwitchedAtBirth'' (2011-2017)
26	* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' (2012-2020)
27	* ''Film/SomeKindOfBeautiful'' (2014)
28	* ''Series/{{The Magicians\|2016}}'' (2017-2019)
29	* ''Series/{{Quantico}}'' (2018)
30	* ''Film/{{CODA\|2021}}'' (2021)
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32	!!Tropes that apply to Marlee Matlin's filmography include:
33	* DisabledCharacterDisabledActor: Matlin is probably one of the most well-known examples of this trope. Every character she's played has been deaf, just like her. Because she is one of the most well-known disabled actors in Hollywood (and arguably the most well-known deaf actor), she has been a longtime advocate for the deaf community, and many deaf actors (such as Creator/TroyKotsur, her co-star in ''Film/{{CODA\|2021}}'') cite her as an inspiration. She does occasionally express some irritation with people who insist on using the term "hearing impaired" to refer to her, as in her own words, "I'm deaf. Deaf is deaf."
34	* DisabledSnarker: She is not at all shy about making jokes surrounding her deafness or appearing in works with humor based around it.
35	%%* GeniusBonus: Referring to the ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}'' episode "[[Recap/SeinfeldS5E6TheLipReader The Lip Reader]]", those who are familiar with American Sign Language note that Matlin's character correctly signed that the two characters they are eavesdropping on said, "we'll sweep together" and Kramer (who wasn't as fluent in sign language as he claimed) misinterpreted her sign as "we'll sleep together".
36	* GettingCrapPastTheRadar:
37	** In a scene during ''Children of a Lesser God'', Sarah signs "fuck you". Said scene was then used frequently in the media to promote the film as the marketers were unaware that she was making an obscene gesture.
38	** She openly wondered to Creator/StephenColbert if she [[CensorDecoy would be censored by the network if she signs obscene language]]...then proceeds to teach Colbert the sign for "fuck you", which did indeed get her hands blurred.
39	* OlderThanTheyLook: She's in her mid fifties but barely looks any different than she did in her mid thirties.
40	** To that point, in 2020 she posted on Instagram that the dress she wore to the 1987 Academy Awards still fits.
41	* StarMakingRole: Sarah in ''Film/ChildrenOfALesserGod''.
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Context Creator / MarleeMatlin