The Academy Award-winner, whose latest film features an ensemble of deaf actors, talks about representation in front of and behind the camera, and how « playing deaf is not a costume. »
She was just 21 years old when she won Hollywood’s most coveted prize – the Oscar, for Best Actress – for her first movie, « Children of a Lesser God. » « You have to understand that I was a girl from Chicago who appeared on the scene out of nowhere, » said Marlee Matlin. Thirty-four years later, she remains the only deaf person to win an Academy Award, in any category. « When I won the Oscar, » she told Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz, « the community was very, obviously very thrilled, certainly. And then they said, ‘Okay, now what? What are you gonna do for us?’ It was a heavy load. » Her new film, « CODA, » now streaming on Apple TV, is the story of deaf parents with two children, a deaf son, and a hearing daughter, played by Emilia Jones. Matlin plays the mother: « It’s about a hearing girl who wants to sing, but she has deaf parents who rely on her to interpret, and they always have. » Mankiewicz asked, « They want hearing actors as the father and the older brother. And you say? » « I said, ‘If you do that, if you choose somebody who’s gonna ‘play’ a deaf person, I’m out,' » Matlin replied. « That suggests to me that, maybe, 35 years after ‘Children of a Lesser God,’ and 34 years after the Oscar, that you’re a little more comfortable making some noise? » « And in all honesty, I didn’t even think, » Matlin said. « I just said it, I put it out there. Playing deaf is not a costume. We, deaf people, live it. » For Matlin, « CODA » (the acronym stands for Child Of Deaf Adults) gave her a rare opportunity to work in an ensemble cast of deaf actors. « It was always sort of as background or, you know, token deaf characters, » Matlin said. « And this time we carried the film. » « I was envious, and I think my wife was, too, of the marriage [in the film], » Mankiewicz smiled. « Like, that’s what I want, right? That was it. That’s as good as it gets! » « You could still do it, » Matlin laughed. « No, we’re good, we’re good, » Mankiewicz assured her. As the most famous deaf person in show business (and probably the country), Matlin has worked steadily since her debut – feisty on « The West Wing, » funny in an episode of « Seinfeld, » and always game, quickly becoming an audience favorite on « Dancing with the Stars.
