Until tonight, Marlee Matlin, Kotsur’s co-star of “CODA,” was the only deaf person to win an acting Oscar. She received her gilded statuette for Best Actress in 1987 for “Children of a Lesser God.”
Seeing her in that movie when he was 17 and growing up in Arizona as the son of a police officer gave Kotsur the confidence to pursue an acting career, he said in interviews. His career has not been easy. Kotsur thrived on stage, but his pre-“CODA” television and film credits were scant, guest starring in a TV series here and an indie movie there. (Fun fact: He helped create the sign language Tusken Raiders use in “The Mandalorian.”)
It’s great to be here on this trip. I can’t believe I’m here. Thank you so much to all members of the Academy for recognizing my work. It is really amazing that our movie “CODA” has reached worldwide; it even reached all the way to the White House. And they invited the cast of “CODA” to visit and tour the White House. We met our president, Joe, and Dr. Jill, and I planned to teach them some dirty sign language, but Marlee Matlin told me to behave. So don’t worry, Marlee; I will not drop F-bombs in my speech today. Instead, I really want to thank all the wonderful Doventheater stages where I was given and given the opportunity to develop my profession as an actor. Thank you.
i read one of them [Steven] Spielberg’s books recently, and he said that the best director, the definition of the best director, was a skilled communicator. Sian Heder, you are the best communicator. And the reason why is that you have brought the Deaf world and the hearing world together, and you are our bridge. And your name will forever be on that bridge, Sian Heder Bridge, here in Hollywood. And that was supported by Apple, Sundance, all of our cast, our crew, our producers and the community of Gloucester, Mass. So I just want to say, Hey, fishermen! Hey Popeyes! Don’t forget to eat your spinach.
My father, he was the best signer in our family. But he had a car accident, and he was paralyzed from the neck down, and he couldn’t draw anymore. Dad, I’ve learned so much from you. I will always love you. You are my hero. Thank you to my biggest fans, my wife and daughter, Kyra, and my hometown of Mesa, Ariz., and Mark Finley, my manager, and our team.
I just wanted to say that this is dedicated to the Deaf community, the CODA community and the disabled community. This is our moment. To my mother, my father and my brother Mark, they are not here today. But now look at me. I did it. I love you. Thank you.
Nancy Coleman reporting contributed.
