Troy Kotsur is the first deaf man nominated for an acting Academy Award. He's up for best supporting actor for CODA. Photo / Michael Tyrone Delaney, The New York Times
The deaf actor endured years of rejection and financial struggle. "I was so used to failure that I didn't realise I would surpass even my own expectations."
It has only been a week since Troy Kotsur became the first deaf man to earn an Oscar nomination for acting, but to the 53-year-old performer, it already feels like the start of something new.
"I finally have more confidence," Kotsur said during a video call this week, where he spoke energetically via a sign-language interpreter. "And this is just the beginning for me, even at this stage, so I'm really looking forward to starting my new journey."
Kotsur's breakout role came in CODA, the Apple+ dramedy that was nominated for best picture and adapted screenplay Oscars along with Kotsur's supporting actor nod for playing Frank Rossi, a deaf fisherman struggling to relate to his teenage daughter, Ruby (Emilia Jones). Ruby is the only hearing member of her family, which includes her mum, Jackie (Marlee Matlin), and brother, Leo (Daniel Durant). Since Ruby is a child of deaf adults — the CODA of the film's title — her parents expect her to translate for them and interface with the hearing world.
But Ruby is ready to leave the nest and pursue a secret talent for singing at the Berklee College of Music, a vocation that puts her at odds with Frank, who expected his daughter to join the family business after high school. Their conflict culminates in one of the year's most affecting movie scenes, when Frank sits in the back of his pickup truck with his daughter and places his hand on her throat as she sings a tender ballad. With that simple gesture, this stubborn but loving father comes to understand his daughter in a brand-new way.
Kotsur hopes that with CODA, which arrived alongside other films with deaf characters like Sound of Metal and Eternals, Hollywood can come to better understand deaf actors, too. Kotsur is a prolific stage actor in deaf theatre productions (he often starred opposite Paul Raci, a CODA himself who was Oscar-nominated last year for Sound of Metal) and has appeared in Criminal Minds, The Mandalorian and other TV series. But he knows that movies like CODA, which offer a well-rounded look at the deaf experience, are still few and far between.
"I really hope that Hollywood has learned patience, because I've been patient trying to work with hearing people over the years," said Kotsur, who lives in Mesa, Arizona, with his wife and daughter. "And to see that fear begin to fade, that's why it's so important to not think of deaf actors from a perspective of limitations, because as a deaf person, I can drive, I can cook, I can have sex, I can do all of these things. The only thing where there's a barrier is a communication barrier, and that's it."
Here are edited excerpts from our conversation.
Q:Now that you've had some time to process your Oscar nomination, what does it mean to you?
A: I feel like I had all of this dust covering my back, and with the nomination, it began to evaporate. I've been through so much: financial struggle and oppression, folks not ready to work with a deaf actor. With all of that struggle and trauma, I feel like I had cuts all over my body that have finally healed. I didn't realise what a big step forward this would be — even bigger than I thought — and it is truly a blessing.
Q: What kept you going when you were dealing with those struggles and all the auditions that didn't pan out?
A: During auditions, I would generally never get the role because most of the time they would ask, "Can you speak?" And of course another actor could speak better than I could, since I'm completely deaf and that can be a challenge. So I really became used to that rejection, and that was actually good training for me to learn to accept it and move on.
I was doing it the old-fashioned way back in the '90s: I had to buy $300 worth of envelopes and stamps and send these headshots to 300 different casting directors, and out of that, I may get one audition. And then I wouldn't get cast from that one audition! It was extremely demanding and it required a lot of sacrifice. That was what I meant by having all this dust on my back from this journey. I had to keep moving forward, just to prove it to myself.
Q: You auditioned for CODA and then waited a year and a half to even get a callback, right?
A: They were arguing behind the scenes with the producers on who was going to play the role of Frank Rossi. They wanted to use A-listers at first.
Q: Paul Raci went through the same thing with Sound of Metal. The producers wanted a name like Forest Whitaker or Robert Duvall, and then Paul got an Oscar nomination for it.
A: I auditioned for Sound of Metal as well, by the way. I didn't get the role, but Paul was perfect for it. For me, Sound of Metal was a step forward, and then it was my turn, and it's been an amazing journey in that way. I was so used to failure that I didn't realise I would surpass even my own expectations of what could happen.
Q: How long have you known Marlee Matlin, who plays your wife in CODA?
A: When I was 17, I saw Children of a Lesser God (the 1986 drama for which Matlin won the best-actress Oscar), and that was the first time I had seen an authentic deaf representation on the big screen. I said to myself, "I hope I can work with her one day." After many years, I was at Deaf West Theatre, and it just so happened that Marlee came to almost every production I was in and we got to know each other a bit over the years.
Q: What was it like to meet her? Did you play it cool?
A: I was touched that she came to see our productions. When CODA happened, she told me, "I was always hoping to work with you one day. I put your name on my bucket list of actors." And so she got her wish. She has been on a hard journey herself, and it's nice to have this shared experience. But really, it's great for everyone in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, and especially younger kids who have hopes and dreams, because I'm proof that these dreams can come true.
So many people say, "Follow your dreams," and I'm like, "Yeah, right." And then it actually happened, so now I'm the one who needs to shut up, because they were right.
Q: Even before CODA sold at the Sundance Film Festival for a record US$25 million and was nominated for all those Oscars, what did the experience of filming it mean to you?
A: When we finished shooting, I walked down to the dock and watched all of the boats going by. I just wanted to thank God for everything that had happened. It took me so long to let go of Frank Rossi and even to shave my beard. I really missed him as a character and I struggled with that for about six months. My wife complained: "Troy, will you please shave? I can't even kiss you."
Q: Since so much of the film hinges on a father-daughter relationship, what was it like to watch it with your daughter for the first time?
A: She was very proud, but when she saw the sex scene, she was embarrassed and covered her eyes. She was like, "Dad, what are you doing?" I told her, "Hey, it's really important to learn about safe sex."
Q: What was your own relationship with your parents like? Did they support your interest in acting?
A: My parents thought it was just temporary, and after a few years, they started to get nervous. They said, "Hey, Troy, why don't you get your degree? Maybe you can be an engineer or a teacher." I was stubborn and I kept on going, and they were extremely nervous, but they would always see my plays, and they enjoyed them. Both of my parents have passed away, but I'm going to visit them at the cemetery if I happen to win any awards. I'm going to show them and say, "Hey, look at me now."
Q: You've already won a supporting-actor award from the Gothams. What other moments stand out from this awards season for you?
A: We were at an event at the Academy Museum and the cast was all there, and Lady Gaga was performing. I was sitting there, watching her onstage, and I was like, "You know what I'm thinking? Should I go up to the stage and put my hand on Lady Gaga's throat?" And everyone just started dying of laughter. For sure, the cops would have tackled me to the floor.
Q: Have any of the big fashion houses gotten in touch to dress you for the Oscars?
A: People are sending me the names of these stores and companies that I've never heard of. I don't recognise any of these brands; I know Walmart, I know Kmart. But my wife is so excited. She started asking me, "What colour dress should I wear? I want to match you." And I'm like, "I have no idea." Women are very excited about these kind of formal gowns, but have you noticed that a lot of men just have one black suit and one tie?
Q: It does tend to be the uniform.
A: I've seen that some people are curious. "What is a deaf person going to wear?" Oh, the same thing as hearing people. Do you expect me to dress differently? Like I'm supposed to wear Christmas lights or neon all over, something like that? It would be too much. I've got to keep it humble.
Q: Were you an avid watcher of the Oscars before now?
A: I'll never forget that when Marlee won, I was jumping for joy because a deaf person had finally won. I actually never missed an Oscars growing up because I'm a movie freak. I love Steven Spielberg, and of course, he had so many nominations through the years. I'm so excited to meet these folks, and to tell Steven Spielberg, "Thank you for your work." I don't want to brown-nose, I just feel like I've proven myself as a nominee and now they see me for who I am.
Q: You're not a brown-noser, you're their peer. You're an Oscar nominee.
A: And it doesn't matter if I win or not: My name has been put down in the history books. By the time I've left this planet, that will remain.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Written by: Kyle Buchanan
Photographs by: Michael Tyrone Delaney
© 2022 THE NEW YORK TIMES
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