Troy Kotsur.Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
Troy Kotsuris breaking barriers both on and off the screen.
The Arizona-born actor, who stars in 2021’s feature filmCODA, might’ve won anOscar for Best Supporting Actorat the2022 Academy Awards, but his successes span wider than the silver screen.
At nine months old, his parents discovered he was Deaf, but that hasn’t stopped Kotsur from pursuing his dreams and serving as inspiration for others in the Deaf community to pursue theirs.
The movie’s title,CODA, stands for Children of Deaf Adults, which refers to hearing children who grow up in a family where American Sign Language (ALS) is their primary form of communication and are members of the Deaf community.
Keep scrolling for fun facts about the Oscar-nominated actor, from how Kotsur got his start in acting to the movie that “changed [his] life.”
Troy Kotsur is married to actress Deanne Bray.
Frazer Harrison/Getty
Known for her role as the titular character inSue Thomas: F.B.Eye, Bray is an actress who was born Deaf but is bilingual in both English and ASL. She met her husband for the first time when she visited a friend at the National Theatre of the Deaf in Connecticut in 1993, the company Kotsur was a member of for two years.
They reunited when Kotsur moved to her hometown of Los Angeles in 1994 and worked alongside each other in a few stage productions. “We didn’t click because I didn’t believe in falling for someone while working on stage,” Bray toldVery Well Health. “Over time, our friendship grew from there. We clicked in 1997 and got married in 2001.”
Troy Kotsur has a daughter.
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
“When my daughter is playing music, she doesn’t know I’m standing behind her. I’ll walk up and I’ll touch the body of the acoustic guitar and I can feel the vibrations of the guitar,” Kotsur toldABC News. “I can do the same with the piano. I can rest my arms on the grand piano and feel the vibrations when she’s practicing,” he added.
Troy Kotsur got his start in theater.
Paul Dimalanta
Due to a lack of opportunity for Deaf actors in the film and television industry, Kotsur found freedom on stage. He attended Gallaudet University to study theater, and then toured with the National Theatre of the Deaf.
Troy Kotsur was the first Deaf actor to win an individual Screen Actors Guild Award.
Rich Fury/Getty
He additionally expressed his gratitude towards the company for “believing in us Deaf actors, and casting us authentically as actors who happen to be Deaf.”
Troy Kotsur made history at the 2022 Oscars.
Troy Kotsur (L).Neilson Barnard/Getty
Kotsur nabbed an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role inCODA, marking his first Academy Award win. In his speech, he thanked his wife and daughter andpaid tribute to his father, whom he referred to as “the best signer in our family.”
The actor made history as the first Deaf man to win an acting Oscar, and the second Deaf winner following costar Matlin’s win back in 1987.
Courtesy Apple
Kotsur often speaks proudly of hisCODAcostar,Matlin, and how she’s inspired him and many others in the Deaf community. The actress wasthe first Deaf person to be nominatedfor an Oscar in 1987 — and win.
“Marlee has been my mentor,“he tells PEOPLE. “She was alone for many years. I understand what Marlee went through and I’m more than happy to support her. And so now I’m becoming more familiar with the industry and all the politics through my experience of the last 30 years. So, I think now I can support Hollywood in opening their mind to gain a new perspective.”
Troy Kotsur likes to play villains.
The actor expressed his role preference during an interview withNPR, and it’s the complete opposite of the character he plays inCODA.
“I like to play villains, then have police officers chase after me, which I did inCriminal Minds,” he said. “It’s nice to see just kind of the range of the characters I portray and the diversity — romantic, mean, heroes — you name it.”
In addition to his roles inCODAand onCriminal Minds, he has appeared onScrubsandCSI: NY, among others.
Troy Kotsur is aStar Warsfan.
Justin Lubin/Lucasfilm Ltd.
Though Kotsur has previously shared with PEOPLE hislove of cartoons— specificallyTom and Jerrybecause “they didn’t speak and I didn’t speak either,” he recalls — his love ofStar Warsremains superior.
“What changed my life so much is when I sawStar Wars,the original one, when I was 8 years old. I saw it 28 times,” Kotsur toldNPR. “It was so visual, the costumes, it just blew me away. I watched it again and again. And it got me hoping that someday I could make a movie.”
source: people.com
