Marlee Matlin to star in Disney’s ‘Life and Deaf’

Published by Editorial Staff at July 4, 2019

A new comedy show called “Life and Deaf,” aims to explore the life of a kid with deaf parents. The new series, which is set in the 1970’s, will star the award-winning actress and deaf activist Marlee Matlin.

According to Entertainment Weekly “Life and Deaf” will air on Disney+, and is based on the life of Matlin’s sign language interpreter, Jack Jason. The series will follow the mischief that occurs as he acts as the “ears and mouth” for his deaf family.

Matlin is also the executive producer of the show, along with the show’s writer, Lizzy Weiss, who also created “Switched at Birth,” in which Matlin also had a starring role.

Matlin stars again

Marlee Matlin is a beloved actress within the deaf community. She is most well known for being the first deaf person to win an Oscar, which she won for her performance in “Children of a Lesser God.”

She has also played roles in “Switched at Birth” a show that highlighted deaf culture throughout all five seasons. She was also most recently in the show “This Close” a show created and produced by two deaf people.

Again and again, Matlin has brought the representation of people with hearing loss into the spotlight. She has been a role model to the deaf community.

“Matlin, alternatively, relies upon sign language to be her voice,” says Hearing Like Me writer Steffani Cameron, in a previous article about Matlin’s roles in breaking down stigmas in the deaf community. “… even with her severe hearing loss, she proves that being Deaf doesn’t impede her ability to think or express ideas or form strong opinions about life. She has achieved amazing things in her career thus far. Thirty years ago she won the Best Actress Academy Award, and still remains the only deaf winner. Since then, she’s acted in countless roles, including The West Wing. In 2009, she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And what of her turn on The Apprentice? She earned what stands as the most money ever raised for a charitable event on the series — $986,000.”

The Hearing Like Me community has high hopes that Matlin will bring along other #deaftalent to “Life and Deaf.” We look forward to learning when the show will premier. Stay tuned!