Los Angeles, Mar 28 (PTI) “CODA” star Troy Kotsur scripted history as he became the second deaf person to win the best supporting actor trophy at the Oscars.
His win comes more than 35 years after his co-star Marlee Matlin won an Oscar for lead actress for “Children of a Lesser God” (1986).
Kotsur dedicated his win to the deaf, disabled and “CODA” communuty.
“It is amazing to be here. I cannot believe that I am here.Thank you to the Academy for recognising my work,” an emotional Kotsur said through an interpreter of the American Sign Language in his acceptance speech.
In the best supporting actor category, Kotsur was up against Ciaran Hinds of “Belfast”, Kodi Smit-McPhee and Jesse Plemons of “The Power of the Dog” and JK Simmons of “Being the Ricardos”.
During the entire award season that culminated with the Oscars on Sunday, Kotsur had been a clear favourite, winning BAFTA, SAG and Critics Choice Awards trophies.
Directed by Sian Heder, “CODA”, which stands for “Child of Deaf Adults”, is a heartwarming tale of a deaf family, with the exception of the daughter.
A remake of 2014 French feature “La Famille Belier”, the film explores the themes of love, friction, drama and laughter, just like any other Hollywood movie but it communicates with the viewers mostly through American Sign Language (ASL).
Kotsur, 53, played the family patriarch Frank Rossi, who comes to understand the dreams of his daughter Ruby, played by Emilia Jones.
As Frank, Kotsur radiated a certain warmth that made him a delight during the entirety of the film, and he also gave a glimpse into his comedic chops during the lighter moments.
Kotsur, who has been deaf since birth, has over 20 years of experience in the industry as he has been performing in theatre, TV and Broadway.
Since 1994, he has extensively worked with Deaf West Theatre in Los Angeles, participating in numerous productions, acting and directing.
In cinema, he has featured in movies such as “The Number 23”, “Universal Signs”, and “No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie”, which also marked his directorial debut.
He also featured in TV shows like “CSI: NY”, “Scrubs” and “Criminal Minds” as well as the popular Disney+ show “The Mandalorian”.
“CODA” is nominated for two more Oscars — best picture and best adapted screenplay for Heder. PTI RB BK BK
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