Biography
Those facts would be impressive enough on their own, but Matlin was not only an actress; she was also a deaf actress. It was not Matlin's fault that the rest of her career was something of an anti-climax after such a dynamic debut. Nevertheless, Matlin carved out a solid career in films and on television, often winning roles based on her talent alone and forcing producers to alter the role to accommodate her deafness. Her uniqueness made her …
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Career Milestones
| Acted in community theater | ||
| Became deaf from a bout of roseola when she was 18 months old | ||
| Played a supporting role in a Chicago stage production of Mark Medoff's "Children of a Lesser God" | ||
1973 | At age eight, performed with Children's Theater of the Deaf in Des Plains, IL | |
1986 | Feature film debut, the leading role of Sarah in "Children of a Lesser God" | |
1989 | TV movie debut and first speaking role in "Bridge to Silence" (CBS) | |
1991 | Played assistant prosecutor Tess Kaufman on TV series, "Reasonable Doubts" (NBC) | |
1992 | Appeared as herself in Robert Altman's "The Player" | |
1992 | Portrayed April Hare in episodes of the Disney Channel's "Adventures in Wonderland" | |
1993 | Performed the national anthem in American Sign Language with country music star Garth Brooks at Super Bowl XXVII; also appeared in Brooks' video "We Shall Be Free" | |
1993 | Played Jerry's girlfriend Laura in two episodes of "Seinfeld" (NBC); nominated for an Emmy | |
1993 | Played a terrorized deaf woman in the thriller, "Hear No Evil" | |
1993 | Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame | |
1994 | Earned praise for her performance in Lifetime's "Against Her Will: The Story of Carrie Buck"; based-on-fact tale of a mentally-impaired woman who fought against her sterilization in the 1920s | |
1994 | Had recurring role as Laurie Bay on David E Kelley's "Picket Fences" (CBS); received Emmy nomination | |
1996 | Hosted PBS' "People in Motion" a look at how technology is reshaping the lives of people with disabilities | |
1996 | Played Eric Roberts' sister in Randal Kleiser's "It's My Party" | |
1997 | Starred in the HBO movie, "Dead Silence" | |
1999 | Producing debut, the Lifetime TV-movie "90 Days at Hollyridge" | |
1999 | Reteamed with Eric Roberts in "Two Shades of Blue" | |
2000 | Earned plaudits for playing a deaf woman on trial in ABC's "The Practice"; scripted by David E Kelley | |
2000 | Had a recurring role as a feisty campaign manager on the NBC political drama "The West Wing" | |
2002 | Published her first novel Deaf Child Crossing, which was loosely based on her own childhood | |
2004 | Guest-starred on NBC's "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" as Doctor Amy Solway; earned an Emmy nomination | |
2006 | Reprised her role for the final episodes of the NBC White House drama, "The West Wing" | |
2007 | Joined the fourth season of Showtime's Lesbian themed drama, "The L Word" as fiery artist Jodi Lerner, the new love interest of Bette (Jennifer Beals) | |
2008 | Joined the ABC reality series, "Dancing with the Stars" as a contestant | |
2011 | Joined the cast of the fourth season of "Celebrity Apprentice" (NBC) | |
Awards
1986 | Academy Award for Actress In a Leading Role in Children of A Lesser God |
1986 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama in Children of A Lesser God |
1991 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama in Reasonable Doubts |
1992 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama in Reasonable Doubts |
1994 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In a Comedy Series in Seinfeld |
1994 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In a Drama Series in Picket Fences |
1996 | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series in Picket Fences |
2000 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In a Drama Series in The Practice |
2004 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress In a Drama Series in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit |