Troy Kotsur
Troy Michael Kotsur (/ˈkɒtsər/; born July 24, 1968) is an American actor in theater, film, and television.
Troy Kotsur | |
|---|---|
Kotsur at the 2022 Santa Barbara International Film Festival | |
| Born | Troy Michael Kotsur July 24, 1968[1] |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Awards | Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (2022) |
His supporting role in the film CODA (2021) earned him a number of accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Critics' Choice Movie Award. He is the first deaf actor to win the latter three awards, and first deaf man and second deaf performer overall to win the former.
Kotsur also directed the feature film No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie (2013).
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.[2] 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. In high school, his drama teacher encouraged him to participate in the senior variety show, and he performed a pantomime skit that was positively received and motivated him to pursue theater.[3]
After Kotsur graduated from high school, he interned at KTSP-TV (now KSAZ-TV). While he had aspired to direct films, at 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."[4] He then attended Gallaudet University from 1987 to 1989 and studied theater, television, and film.[5]
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 for the Deaf West Theatre in Los Angeles, California, acting in and directing several productions.[5] On stage, his roles included Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire, Lenny in Of Mice and Men, and Prince Hamlet in Ophelia.[6]
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.[6] He also had a recurring role on Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye, also working as an ASL specialist for the show.[7]
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.[5] Following Cyrano, Kotsur directed the feature film No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie, which premiered at the Heartland Film Festival in 2013.[8]
In 2016 he starred in Deborah LaVine's independent feature, Wild Prairie Rose.[9] The film won the Jimmy Stewart Legacy award at the Heartland International Film Festival.[10]
In The Mandalorian, the Tusken Raiders use a sign language, and Kotsur was brought on to develop that conlang. He did not mention that he was also an actor for fear that it would come across as brown-nosing. But after they found out from his manager, he was cast to play the lead Tusken Raider.[11][12]
In 2021, Kotsur appeared in the feature film CODA in a supporting role as the deaf father to 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 CODA "awed both audiences and critics".[13] For his performance in the film, Kotsur won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, becoming the second deaf actor, after Marlee Matlin (his CODA co-star) in Children of a Lesser God (1986), to win an Academy Award.[14]
Kotsur is set to star in Flash Before the Bang, a sports drama television show with an all-deaf cast.[15]
Personal life
Kotsur is married to actress Deanne Bray, who is also deaf, with whom he has one daughter.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Number 23 | Barnaby | |
| 2008 | Universal Signs | Chris | |
| 2009 | See What I'm Saying: The Deaf Entertainers Documentary | Self | Documentary |
| 2013 | No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie | Matt | Also director |
| 2016 | Wild Prairie Rose | James Hansen | |
| 2021 | CODA | Frank Rossi | Academy Award Best Supporting Actor |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Strong Medicine | Lars | Episode: Fix" |
| 2002–2005 | Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye | Troy Myers | 5 episodes |
| 2003 | Doc | Troy | Episode: "Rules of Engagement" |
| 2006 | CSI: NY | Dennis Mitchum | Episode: "Silent Night" |
| 2007 | Scrubs | Mr. Frances | Episode: "My Words of Wisdom" |
| 2012 | Criminal Minds | John Myers | Episode: "The Silencer" |
| 2019 | The Mandalorian | Tusken Raider Scout #1 | Episode: "Chapter 5: The Gunslinger" |
Theatre credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | In a Room Somewhere | Play by Suzan Zeder, directed by Victor Brown | [5] | |
| 1991–1992 | Treasure Island | Based on Treasure Island; tour under National Theatre of the Deaf | [5] | |
| 1992–1993 | Ophelia | Hamlet | Based on Hamlet's character Ophelia; tour under National Theatre of the Deaf | [5] |
| 1993 | 25 Cents | Harry | New York Deaf Theatre production | [16] |
| 2001 | Big River | Pap Finn/The Duke | Kotsur shared role of "Pap" with Lyle Kanouse; produced under Deaf West Theatre | [6] |
| 2002 | Big River | Pap Finn/The Duke | Performed at Mark Taper Forum; Kotsur shared role of "Pap" with Lyle Kanouse | [6] |
| 2003 | Big River | Pap Finn/The Duke | Broadway revival under Deaf West Theatre and Roundabout Theatre Company; Kotsur shared role of "Pap" with Lyle Kanouse | [17] |
| 2012 | Cyrano | Cyrano | Based on Cyrano de Bergerac; produced under Deaf West Theatre | [5] |
| 2014 | Spring Awakening | Adult Men | Produced under Deaf West Theatre | [18] |
Accolades
References
- ^ https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2022/07/24/Famous-birthdays-for-July-24-Elisabeth-Moss-Anna-Paquin/5841658632194/
- ^ "Mesa-born deaf actor makes film history with Oscar nomination". February 8, 2022.
- ^ Potkonjak, Marija (August 14, 2003). "Sound, fury and success on stage". East Valley Tribune. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ Polletta, Maria (December 1, 2014). "Deaf actor from Mesa directs first movie". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Deaf Person of the Month: Troy Kotsur". deafpeople.com. MSM Productions Ltd. November 2012. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Mandell, Jonathan (July 20, 2003). "Theater; 'Big River' Sings (and Signs) on Broadway". The New York Times. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ "Troy Kotsur". IMDb. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ Staff (August 27, 2014). "No Ordinary Hero Returns To Big Screen". Canyon News. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ "View Trailer". Wild Prairie Rose. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
- ^ Andy Ober. "Heartland Film Festival Names 2016 Winners". Inside INdiana Business. Retrieved August 9, 2022.
- ^ Kotsur, Troy (April 29, 2022). "How CODA's Troy Kotsur Created Sign Language for the STAR WARS Universe". Nerdist (Interview). Interviewed by Melissa Mille. YouTube. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
- ^ Kotsur, Troy (August 31, 2021). "Coffee with Joel: Troy Kotsur". Coffee with Joel (Interview). Interviewed by Joel Barish. YouTube. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
- ^ Del Barco, Mandalit (August 8, 2021). "How Troy Kotsur of 'CODA' broke barriers as a deaf actor, on stage and on screen". npr.org. NPR. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ Del Barco, Mandalit (March 27, 2022). "CODA's Troy Kotsur is now the first Deaf man to win an Oscar for acting". NPR. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
- ^ "Pearl Street Films Boards Deaf Sports Drama 'Flash Before the Bang' With Troy Kotsur". TheWrap. August 16, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
- ^ "14th Anniversary Season" (PDF). New York Deaf Theatre, Ltd. December 1993. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ Hischak, Thomas S. (2009). Broadway Plays and Musicals: Descriptions and Essential Facts of More Than 14,000 Shows Through 2007. McFarland. p. 462. ISBN 978-0-7864-5309-2.
- ^ "Deaf West Theatre's Immersive Spring Awakening, Directed by Michael Arden, Extends". Playbill. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
- ^ Barco, Mandalit del (March 27, 2022). "CODA's Troy Kotsur is now the first Deaf man to win an Oscar for acting". NPR. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
- ^ Ravindran, Manori (February 3, 2022). "BAFTA Awards Nominations Unveiled: 'Dune,' 'Power of the Dog' Lead Field, Will Smith Earns First BAFTA Nod". Variety. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ Staff (December 13, 2021). "Film Nominations Announced for the 27th Annual Critics Choice Awards". criticschoice.com. Critics Choice Association. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ Buchanan, Kyle (December 13, 2021). "Golden Globes Nominations 2022: The Complete List". The New York Times. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ Mandinach, Zach (November 29, 2021). "31st Annual Gotham Awards Winners Announced". thegotham.org. The Gotham Film & Media Institute. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ Staff (December 14, 2021). "2022 Film Independent Spirit Awards Nominations Announced". filmindependent.org. Film Independent. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
- ^ Staff. "The 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards: Nominees & Recipients". sagawards.org. SAG-AFTRA. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
External links
- Troy Kotsur at IMDb