First deaf female to win an Oscar for acting
- Who
- Marlee Matlin
- What
- First
- Where
- United States (Los Angeles)
- When
- 30 March 1987
Marlee Matlin (USA) secured the first Academy Award win by a deaf actress (and, indeed the first Academy Award for a deaf performer outright) for her screen debut in Children of a Lesser God (USA, 1986). She received her Oscar statuette at the 59th Academy Awards, held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, California, USA, on 30 March 1987. Matlin's acclaimed performance also won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama.
Matlin (b. 24 August 1965) was aged just 21 years 218 days at the 59th Academy Awards ceremony in 1987, which also makes her the youngest Best Actress winner.
She later starred alongside Troy Kotsur (USA) in the comedy-drama CODA (USA/France/Canada, 2021). At the 94th Academy Awards on 27 Mar 2022, Kotsur won Best Supporting Actor for playing Frank Rossi, making him the first deaf male to win an Oscar for acting.