Marlee Matlin

Marlee Matlin (born August 24, 1965) is an American actress. Deaf since she was 18 months old, Matlin is known for her portrayals of deaf women, and for her activism on behalf of deaf individuals in Hollywood and other industries. Her accolades include an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for a British Academy Film Award and four Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2009, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Matlin made her acting debut playing Sarah Norman in the romantic drama film Children of a Lesser God (1986), winning the Academy Award for Best Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. She is the first deaf performer to win an Academy Award, the youngest winner in the Best Actress category, and one of four women to win the award for their screen debut. For playing a district attorney in the police drama series Reasonable Doubts (1991–1993), she was twice nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama. She received a nomination for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her guest role in the comedy series Seinfeld (1993), and received three more nominations for Picket Fences (1993), The Practice (2000), and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2004–2005) in the drama category.