Marlee Matlin

Marlee Beth Matlin (born August 24, 1965) is an American actress, author, and activist. Deaf since she was 18 months old, 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. She is the first deaf performer to win an Academy Award, as well as the youngest winner in the Best Actress category. Matlin starred in the police drama series Reasonable Doubts (1991–1993), earning two Golden Globe Award nominations. Her guest roles in Seinfeld (1993), Picket Fences (1993), The Practice (2000), and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2004–05) earned her four Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Matlin continues to act and advocate for the deaf community, and in 2021, she won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance for her role in CODA.