Image credits: Wikimedia Commons
Marlee Matlin
August 24, 1965
Morton Grove, Illinois, US
61 Years Old
Virgo
Who Is Marlee Matlin?
Marlee Matlin is an American actress, author, and advocate, renowned for her impactful performances and unwavering advocacy for the deaf community. Her ability to convey deep emotion without spoken dialogue has made her a compelling figure in Hollywood.
She burst into the public eye with her debut role in the 1986 film Children of a Lesser God, winning an Academy Award at 21. Matlin’s powerful portrayal resonated widely, breaking barriers for deaf performers in mainstream cinema.
Early Life and Education
Marlee Matlin was born in Morton Grove, Illinois, to Donald, an automobile dealer, and Libby Matlin. She lost nearly all her hearing at 18 months due to illness, making her the only deaf member of her family.
Her early interest in acting began at age seven at a children's theater company in Chicago, where she performed in The Wizard of Oz. Later, Matlin studied criminal justice at William Rainey Harper College, though her passion for performance persisted.
Notable Relationships
A string of high-profile romances has marked Marlee Matlin's early career, most notably with actor William Hurt during the filming of Children of a Lesser God, a relationship that was publicly tumultuous.
She married police officer Kevin Grandalski on August 29, 1993, after meeting on the set of Reasonable Doubts. Matlin shares four children—Sarah Rose, Brandon Joseph, Tyler Daniel, and Isabelle Jane—with Grandalski, with whom she co-parents.
Career Highlights
Marlee Matlin's breakthrough came with her debut in Children of a Lesser God, earning her the Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe. This made her the youngest and first deaf recipient of the Oscar in that category.
She later earned a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for her role in the critically acclaimed film CODA. Matlin also consistently championed deaf representation through roles in television series like The West Wing and Switched at Birth.
Matlin has also received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations for various television appearances and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009, cementing her as a fixture in modern pop culture.
Signature Quote
“Deaf people can do anything, except hear.”