www.forbes.com: Since winning the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for CODA in 2022, becoming the first Deaf male actor to take home the coveted trophy, Troy Kotsur has been working hard to continue to make a name for himself in Hollywood, while representing his sometimes overlooked Deaf community.
4 comments:
I adore Troy Kotsur. When CODA came out in 2022 I was in the third year of learning ASL in high school and we had a very long discussion about the movie and him as an actor. After that conversation I struggled to keep up with him so I am grateful I found this article. I have spoken about my opinions about using deaf actors to play deaf characters and how it is much better than having hearing actors learn to ASL play a deaf character. I am glad he is gaining recognition and attention because it just showcases how valuable deaf actors are and how much they can achieve when given the opportunity. I really liked hearing about how he just got to show up and be himself an improv. And I like how he talked about his experience as a golfer. I think that it shows there is so much more to him than his disability.
As someone who has not had any deaf family members or friends, I haven't had a lot of exposure to deaf communities and people in general. So I have had to rely on exposure through media and what Hollywood has provided. So essentially I barely have gotten any exposure let alone authentic exposure or representation coming from actors or directors who are deaf themselves. I think most of this is because it is easier to access Hollywood when you are considered the stereotypical “normal”. And that's why it is so important and exciting to see actors like Troy Kotsur receive praise and awards based on the authenticity he brings to his roles and performances as well as the new characters and stories he is creating. I actually have not gotten to see a ton of his work and it is all on my watch list but I am excited to see what other work this actor brings into Hollywood as well as the industry in general.
I personally am a very big fan of CODA and I think it was an incredible film that was able to break a lot of barriers within film. I was very happy when Troy Kotsur was awarded his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. He definitely deserved it, and I’m glad that he is continuing his work within the industry. I love that shows are becoming more open with hiring deaf actors. It must have been really exciting to be included in Curb Your Enthusiasm on the list with all of the famous cameos made on the show. Kotsur should be quite proud of himself for all that he has done, despite all of the barriers he faces. I also had no idea that he was in the Super Bowl and that he signed the National Anthem. That must have also been a really exciting opportunity for him. I also really appreciated the advice that he gave for future deaf actors. He serves as a great role model for the deaf community, and he does not take that position lightly.
n my family there have been a couple of people that have struggled with hearing loss and use hearing aids every day to be able to live their life. I think that CODA was an amazing production. Troy Kotsur is such an inspiration and he truly showcases what everyone should be doing. My first exposure to a deaf person in a celebrity standpoint was in Dancing with The Stars when one star was deaf and learned how to dance on beat and was one of the finalists. I think that exposure was really important for me because it showed me that any disability can hold a person back but it should restrict them from doing things that they are more than capable of doing. I think that the conversation if deaf actors should play deaf characters is pretty straightforward and the answer is yes. People should be accommodating to everyone, not just people without disabilities and since we are in 2024 we need to learn how to grow as a community and be more open minded.
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