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Troy Kotsur

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Troy Kotsur
Kotsur at the 2022 Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Born
Troy Michael Kotsur

(1968-07-24) July 24, 1968 (age 56)[1]
Mesa, Arizona, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1989–present
Spouse
​
(m. 2001)​
Children1
AwardsAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actor (2022)

Troy Michael Kotsur (/ˈkɒtsər/; born July 24, 1968) is an American actor. Born deaf, Kotsur made his acting debut in the late 1980s working with the National Theatre of the Deaf. His television debut was in a 2001 episode of Strong Medicine and his film debut was in the 2007 thriller The Number 23.

After making his Broadway debut in a 2003 revival of Big River, Kotsur's performance in a 2012 production of Cyrano earned him a nomination for the Ovation Award for Best Actor in a Play. He directed and starred in the film No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie (2013) and gained wider attention with his guest role in the Disney+ series The Mandalorian (2019). Kotsur's portrayal of a deaf father in the comedy drama film CODA (2021) was critically acclaimed and won him the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, making him the first male deaf actor, and second overall (after Marlee Matlin[a]) to win an acting Oscar.

Early life and education

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Kotsur was born in Mesa, Arizona, the largest suburb of Phoenix, on July 24, 1968, to JoDee (née True) and Leonard Stephen "Len" Kotsur, who was Mesa's police chief.[2] When Kotsur was nine months old, his parents discovered that he was deaf and they learned American Sign Language so the family could communicate. His parents encouraged Kotsur to play sports and to make friends with hearing children in their neighborhood. Kotsur attended the Phoenix Day School for the Deaf, where he first became interested in acting. He graduated from Westwood High School where his drama teacher encouraged him to participate in the senior variety show. He performed a pantomime skit that was positively received and motivated him to pursue theater.[3]

After Kotsur graduated from high school, he interned at KTSP-TV (now known as KSAZ-TV). While he had aspired to direct films, during the internship he assisted an editor and did not feel connected with people, recalling, "My directing dream poofed after I accepted the fact that I lived in a world that did not use my language."[4] He then attended Gallaudet University from 1987 to 1989 and studied theater, television, and film.[5]

Career

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When Kotsur received an acting job offer from the National Theatre of the Deaf, he accepted it and left Gallaudet to tour with NTD for two years, performing in two plays. In 1994, he started working at Deaf West Theatre in Los Angeles, California, acting in and directing several productions.[5] On stage, his roles included Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire, Lenny in Of Mice and Men, and Prince Hamlet in Ophelia.[6]

In 2001, Kotsur and hearing actor Lyle Kanouse were cast together in a Deaf West Theatre production of the 1985 musical Big River. Kotsur and Kanouse both played Huckleberry Finn's father Pap, with Kotsur signing and Kanouse speaking and singing. Big River's success led to the play being performed at the Mark Taper Forum, then to a Broadway revival under Roundabout Theater Company and Deaf West at the American Airlines Theater in New York City.[6] He also had a recurring role on Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye, as well as working as an ASL specialist for the show.[7]

In 2012, Kotsur starred in the play Cyrano, based on Cyrano de Bergerac and a co-production of Deaf West Theatre and The Fountain Theatre. The play, directed by Stephen Sachs, premiered in April 2012.[5] Following Cyrano, Kotsur directed the feature film No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie, which premiered at the Heartland Film Festival in 2013.[8]

In 2016 he starred in Deborah LaVine's independent feature, Wild Prairie Rose.[9] The film won the Jimmy Stewart Legacy award at the Heartland International Film Festival.[10]

In The Mandalorian, the Tusken Raiders use a sign language, and Kotsur was brought on to develop the conlang. He did not mention that he was also an actor for fear that it would come across as sycophantic. But after they found out from his manager, he was cast to play the lead Tusken Raider.[11][12]

In 2021, Kotsur appeared in the feature film CODA in a supporting role as the deaf father of a hearing teenage daughter. Director Sian Heder first saw his performances in Deaf West productions of Our Town and Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo and cast him as part of the ensemble. NPR reported that Kotsur's performance in the film "awed both audiences and critics".[13] Kotsur received numerous awards for his performance, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actor, Gotham Independent Film Award for Outstanding Supporting Performance, Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role. His win of the Oscar made him the first male deaf actor, second overall (after Marlee Matlin[a]) to win an Academy Award for acting.[14]

Kotsur is set to star in Flash Before the Bang, a sports drama television show with an all-deaf cast.[15]

Personal life

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Kotsur is married to actress Deanne Bray, who is also deaf, and they have one daughter, Kyra Monique Kotsur, born on September 8, 2005.

Acting credits

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2007 The Number 23 Barnaby
2008 Universal Signs Chris
2009 See What I'm Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary Self Documentary
2013 No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie Matt Also director
2016 Wild Prairie Rose[citation needed] James Hansen
2021 CODA Frank Rossi Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
2025 In Cold Light[16] Post-production

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2001 Strong Medicine Lars Episode: Fix"
2002–2005 Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye Troy Myers 5 episodes
2003 Doc Troy Episode: "Rules of Engagement"
2006 CSI: NY Dennis Mitchum Episode: "Silent Night"
2007 Scrubs Mr. Frances Episode: "My Words of Wisdom"
2012 Criminal Minds John Myers Episode: "The Silencer"
2019 The Mandalorian Tusken Raider Scout #1 Episode: "Chapter 5: The Gunslinger"
2023 Superbowl LVII[17] himself National Anthem interpreter
2024 Curb Your Enthusiasm Himself Episode: "Vertical Drop, Horizontal Tug"
2025 Foundation Preem Palver Season 3
TBA Black Rabbit Joe Mancuso Upcoming miniseries

Theatre

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1989 In a Room Somewhere Play by Suzan Zeder, directed by Victor Brown [5]
1991–1992 Treasure Island Based on Treasure Island; tour under National Theatre of the Deaf [5]
1992–1993 Ophelia Hamlet Based on Hamlet's character Ophelia; tour under National Theatre of the Deaf [5]
1993 25 Cents Harry New York Deaf Theatre production [18]
2001 Big River Pap Finn/The Duke Kotsur shared role of "Pap" with Lyle Kanouse; produced under Deaf West Theatre [6]
2002 Big River Pap Finn/The Duke Performed at Mark Taper Forum; Kotsur shared role of "Pap" with Lyle Kanouse [6]
2003 Big River Pap Finn/The Duke Broadway revival under Deaf West Theatre and Roundabout Theatre Company; Kotsur shared role of "Pap" with Lyle Kanouse [19]
2012 Cyrano Cyrano Based on Cyrano de Bergerac; produced under Deaf West Theatre [5]
2014 Spring Awakening Adult Men Produced under Deaf West Theatre [20]

Accolades

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Year Organizations Category Work Result Ref.
2012
 Ovation Awards Best Lead Actor in a Play Cyrano Nominated [5]
2021
 Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor CODA Won [21]
British Academy Film Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role Won [22]
Critics' Choice Awards Best Supporting Actor Won [23]
Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Nominated [24]
Gotham Awards Outstanding Supporting Performance Won [25]
Independent Spirit Awards Best Supporting Male Won [26]
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Won [27]
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Won

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Matlin, who stars opposite Kotsur in CODA, won Best Actress in 1986 for Children of a Lesser God.

References

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  1. ^ "Famous birthdays for July 24: Elisabeth Moss, Anna Paquin - UPI.com". UPI. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  2. ^ "Mesa-born deaf actor makes film history with Oscar nomination". February 8, 2022. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  3. ^ Potkonjak, Marija (August 14, 2003). "Sound, fury and success on stage". East Valley Tribune. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  4. ^ Polletta, Maria (December 1, 2014). "Deaf actor from Mesa directs first movie". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h "Deaf Person of the Month: Troy Kotsur". deafpeople.com. MSM Productions Ltd. November 2012. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d Mandell, Jonathan (July 20, 2003). "Theater; 'Big River' Sings (and Signs) on Broadway". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  7. ^ "Troy Kotsur". IMDb. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  8. ^ Staff (August 27, 2014). "No Ordinary Hero Returns To Big Screen". Canyon News. Archived from the original on February 6, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  9. ^ "View Trailer". Wild Prairie Rose. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  10. ^ Andy Ober. "Heartland Film Festival Names 2016 Winners". Inside INdiana Business. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
  11. ^ Kotsur, Troy (April 29, 2022). "How CODA's Troy Kotsur Created Sign Language for the STAR WARS Universe". Nerdist (Interview). Interviewed by Melissa Mille. YouTube. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  12. ^ Kotsur, Troy (August 31, 2021). "Coffee with Joel: Troy Kotsur". Coffee with Joel (Interview). Interviewed by Joel Barish in ASL (no sound). YouTube. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  13. ^ Del Barco, Mandalit (August 8, 2021). "How Troy Kotsur of 'CODA' broke barriers as a deaf actor, on stage and on screen". npr.org. NPR. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  14. ^ Del Barco, Mandalit (March 27, 2022). "CODA's Troy Kotsur is now the first Deaf man to win an Oscar for acting". NPR. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  15. ^ "Pearl Street Films Boards Deaf Sports Drama 'Flash Before the Bang' With Troy Kotsur". TheWrap. August 16, 2021. Archived from the original on August 16, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  16. ^ Maika Monroe & Troy Kotsur To Lead Crime Thriller ‘In Cold Light’, Marking The Latter’s First Movie Since Memorable Oscar Win For ‘CODA’ — Cannes Market
  17. ^ "Watch Chris Stapleton and 'Coda' star Troy Kotsur perform Super Bowl national anthem". EW.com. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  18. ^ "14th Anniversary Season" (PDF). New York Deaf Theatre, Ltd. December 1993. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  19. ^ Hischak, Thomas S. (2009). Broadway Plays and Musicals: Descriptions and Essential Facts of More Than 14,000 Shows Through 2007. McFarland. p. 462. ISBN 978-0-7864-5309-2.
  20. ^ "Deaf West Theatre's Immersive Spring Awakening, Directed by Michael Arden, Extends". Playbill. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  21. ^ Barco, Mandalit del (March 27, 2022). "CODA's Troy Kotsur is now the first Deaf man to win an Oscar for acting". NPR. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  22. ^ Ravindran, Manori (February 3, 2022). "BAFTA Awards Nominations Unveiled: 'Dune,' 'Power of the Dog' Lead Field, Will Smith Earns First BAFTA Nod". Variety. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  23. ^ Staff (December 13, 2021). "Film Nominations Announced for the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards". criticschoice.com. Critics Choice Association. Archived from the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  24. ^ Buchanan, Kyle (December 13, 2021). "Golden Globes Nominations 2022: The Complete List". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  25. ^ Mandinach, Zach (November 29, 2021). "31st Annual Gotham Awards Winners Announced". thegotham.org. The Gotham Film & Media Institute. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  26. ^ Staff (December 14, 2021). "2022 Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations Announced". filmindependent.org. Film Independent. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  27. ^ Staff. "The 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards: Nominees & Recipients". sagawards.org. SAG-AFTRA. Archived from the original on March 27, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
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