Marlee Matlin is a deaf woman who has been making waves in Hollywood ever since her debut movie “Children of a Lesser God,” where she received the Academy Award for Best Actress. When she was just 21, she became the youngest recipient of Oscar Award for Best Actress. She has also received a Golden Globe Award, and has been nominated for the People’s Choice Awards and two Emmy awards. But she hasn’t stopped there!
You may recognize her from TV shows such as “Switched at Birth,” “The Magicians,” and “Quantico.” She has been Executive Producer of many titles, has self-produced an original pilot which is on YouTube, and has created an app that teaches people ASL titled, “Marlee Signs.”
She has also written a New York Times Best Selling autobiography, I’ll Scream Later and a children’s novel, Deaf Children Crossing and its sequels. These books document what life is like to live silently in a world full of noise, a perspective people often forget about.
She has worked with President Clinton and President Obama, and is currently raising awareness for several charities. She highlights the importance of donating to charitable organizations and interacting with and supporting deaf people.
I discovered her after she played an awesome character in “The Magicians,” and have admired her work everyday since. Representation matters, and she is representing and standing up for the deaf community.
More information can be found at Marlee’s website here.