Troy Kotsur made history at the 94th Academy Awards as the first Deaf male actor to win an Oscar. He was honored for his performance in CODA, where he played protagonist Ruby’s (Emilia Jones) supportive father.
Kotsur is the second Deaf actor in the history of the Oscars to win an award. In 1986, Kotsur’s CODA co-star Marlee Matlin became the first Deaf actor to win an Academy Award. She won Best Actress for her performance in Children of a Lesser God.
In his acceptance speech, Kotsur said, “This is dedicated to the deaf community, the ‘CODA’ community, and the disabled community. This is our moment!”
