On Sunday night, Apple TV+’s CODA — a coming-of-age dramedy about a “child of Deaf adults” — made history at the SAG Awards, becoming the first movie with a predominately Deaf cast to win the award for best film ensemble, while star Troy Kotsur became the first Deaf actor to pick up a SAG with best supporting actor.
During the acceptance speech for best film ensemble, Marlee Matlin took to the stage and gave a powerful speech about the impact of the award.
“You are all our peers. We, Deaf actors, have come a long way. 35 years, I have been seeing so much work out there all this time. I’ve watched all of your films, and I pay the deepest respect to all of you,” Matlin said.
“This validates the fact that we, Deaf actors, can work just like anybody else. We look forward to more opportunities for Deaf actors, Deaf culture, thank you.”
Matlin finished her speech by teaching the crowd how to sign “I love you” in American Sign Language (ASL).
