Marlee Matlin

Marlee Beth Matlin (born August 24, 1965) is an American actress, author, and activist. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Children of a Lesser God (1986) and to date is the only deaf performer to have won an Academy award. Her work in film and television has resulted in a Golden Globe award, with two additional nominations, and four Emmy nominations. Deaf since she was 18 months old, due to illness and high fevers, she is also a prominent member of the National Association of the Deaf. Her longtime interpreter is Jack Jason.\n', '

Matlin was born in Morton Grove, Illinois, to Libby (née Hammer) and Donald Matlin (1930–2013), who was an automobile dealer.\n', '

She lost all hearing in her right ear and 80% of the hearing in her left ear at the age of 18 months. In her autobiography I\'ll Scream Later, she suggests that her hearing loss may have been due to a genetically mal…