Troy Kotsur

Troy Michael Kotsur (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) to win an acting Oscar.

Early life and education
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. 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.

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." He then attended Gallaudet University from 1987 to 1989 and studied theater, television, and film.

Career
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. On stage, his roles included Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire, Lenny in Of Mice and Men, and Prince Hamlet in Ophelia.

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. He also had a recurring role on Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye, as well as working as an ASL specialist for the show.

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. Following Cyrano, Kotsur directed the feature film No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie, which premiered at the Heartland Film Festival in 2013.

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

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.

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". 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) to win an Academy Award for acting.

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

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