MARLEE MATLIN
"Though I am deaf it is
Getting to know Marlee Matlin
At the age of 18 months old, Marlee
was diagnosed with Roseola, which
made her deaf in her right ear and a
little hearing in her left. She decided
to go into theater and at the age of
8, Marlee performed with a
children's theatre group at the
Center on Deafness in Illinois. She
played Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz
in 1974, and for the next seven years, characters on film. "It's about talking
she traveled with the company all
throughout the Midwest and
performed in Mary Poppins and
Peter Pan. Before Marlee left for
college in Chicago, she decided to
NICOLE M OBERMAIER Friday, March 12, 2010 11:11:14 AM ET
try out for "Children of a Lesser
god" and got the roll of Lydia.
Marlee Matlin was an influential
person in bodily kinesthetic
performing as an actress and having
the disability of being deaf. Filming
began in August 1985, and Children
of a Lesser God was the first
production that contained a deaf
and listening. It's about deaf people
and it's about love and it's about
communication. It's about rejection,
about giving and taking, about
patience." (New York Newsday
not as if I live in
silence."
September 18, 1986) is how Marlee
described her acting career and how
difficult it is but at the same time, it is
a challenge she has to overcome.
Current Biography. Wilson Biographies.
H.W. Wilson Company, 2009. Web. 4
Mar. 2010. <http://
vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/‌hww/‌results/‌
getResults.jhtml?_DARGS=/‌hww/‌
results/‌results_common.jhtml.33>.
 Early Career

By the age of 24, Marlee was appointed
by President Clinton and confirmed by
the Senate to the Board of Directors for
the Corporation for National Service.
She achieved the recognition of the
president for being such an influential
deaf actor. A year later, Marlee served
as Chairperson for National Volunteer
Week and was honored in a White House
Rose Garden ceremony by the
President. In 2002 she published her
first novel, Deaf Child Crossing; based
on her childhood to share her
information with children that are deaf
and show them that it is possible for
people with disabilities to achieve great
accomplishments. Marlee appeared on
the 20th season of Sesame Street with
Billy Joel and taught sign language to
children that were watching. Spreading
the idea to children that people with
disabilities can do just as much as
regular people, can change the
impression of how people look at
disabled people. In 2006, She joined the
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and
worked with a deaf boy and a blind
father and tried to display that anything
is possible. Marlee is a role model to
deaf people because she has been to
many events and spoke out for deaf
people.
Marlee Matlin Official Website. N.p., n.d.
Web. 4 Mar. 2010. <http://
www.marleematlinsite.com/‌lifebio/‌
lifebio.html>.

A!earances

On February 4, 2007, Matlin performed the "Star Spangled Banner" in American Sign
Language with Garth Brooks at Super Bowl XLI in Miami, Florida. Sign language is the
way deaf people communicate, so having Marlee perform in sign language makes it
equal for all Americans to understand. Marlee searches for equality in people and
having a disability makes it easier to express equality. Recently, in the sixth season in
Dancing with the Stars, Marlee competed and moved her body without listening to the
music. She learned by rhythm, which made it harder for her to dance, but she still did a
fantastic job. Marlee showed that even though it is a challenge to dance as a deaf
person, it is possible.

Marlee Matlin Official Website. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Mar. 2010. <http://www.marleematlinsite.com/‌

lifebio/‌lifebio.html>.

NICOLE M OBERMAIER Friday, March 12, 2010 11:11:14 AM ET

 Marlee in Action
“ I ’ LL
Marlee Matlin quoted “Maybe my way of

communicating through sign made me more

S CR E AM
in tune with my body and how it moved.

Who knows? I just know when I saw a stage LATE R ”

for the first time, I wanted to be on it” and

having a disability makes it hard to do

everything that a normal person can do,

but Marlee makes it look easy. She is an

influential person in bodily kinesthetic

because even though she cannot hear, she

can do everything else a normal person can

do. Marlee has accomplished many things

even though she did it in her own way. "It

should have been the best time of my life.

And in a surreal way it was. Almost exactly

forty-eight hours earlier and a world away

in the bright lights and red carpet glitz of

the Beverly Hilton Hotel... I realize

everything in my life up to that point--my

childhood, my family, my deafness, the

obstacles, the opportunities, the friends

and lovers, the molester and the abusers,

the doctors and the teachers, and always

the acting--had all meshed together to buy

me a ticket on that forty-eight hour roller

coaster ride... and the hard work I knew I

EX TRE M E
faced if I was to build a life of sobriety." -I'll H OME
Scream Later
MA K E OVE R:
H OME
Marlee Matlin Official Website. N.p., n.d. Web. 4
Mar. 2010. <http://www.marleematlinsite.com/‌ ED ITION
lifebio/‌lifebio.html>.

NICOLE M OBERMAIER Friday, March 12, 2010 11:11:14 AM ET

 Social, Economical, Political Cha#
Social Economical Political
1. After the Tragedy of September 11th 1. In the 2000-2009 decade, it was the 1. In 2001 we had George W. Bush as our
Marlee currently serves as a national worst economical downturn since the President and in 2009 Barack Obama,
celebrity spokesperson for The depression. Marlee spoke at the both very different races. Marlee looked
American Red Cross, encouraging International Labour Office about the at the effects of how people who are
Americans to donate blood in light of decrease of disabled workers. She different can be successful, and
this disaster (voices) spoke for herself when she said she had influenced her to help people with
a hard time with money and the disabilities on Extreme Makeover Home
people that are disabled have a hard Edition when she helped a young boy
time getting jobs. (ILO News) who is deaf and his father.
2. Matlin joins her mentor Henry Winkler 2. Marlee discussed being deaf on the 2. In California people with disabilities
and discusses her book and how she Larry King Live, millions tuned in to are having problems with money because
dealt with her drug addictions watch Marlee. The interview talked of the economy. Marlee Matlin, the
discrimination, family issues, and her about how she had to deal with her life International Labor's Organization
well-publicized deafness. and how she was sexual abused when spokesperson on disability issues,
she was young. delivered a statement in commemoration
of the International Day of Persons with
Disabilities.
3. Marlee is actively involved with a 3. James E. Williams spoke to Marlee 3. Marlee was appointed by President
number of charitable organizations, Matlin "More and more, technology is the Clinton to the Corporation for National
including the Children Affected by AIDS driving force that is eliminating barriers Service, she also served as Chairperson
Foundation, the Elizabeth Glaser for the disability community in work and for National Volunteer Week and was
Pediatric AIDS Foundation, the Starlight in their everyday lives. The challenge honored in a Rose Garden ceremony.
Children's Foundation, and the Red now is to help people with disabilities find (looktothestars.com)
Cross Celebrity Cabinet. She supports meaningful employment and become
all these charities and gives speeches to economically self-sufficient." (Microsoft
teach them. News Center). If more people with
disabilities receive technology that help
them speak in their native language, then
there will be more opportunities for
disabled people to become wealthy.
4. The Academy Award winner serves on 4. Marlee worked with the Starkey 4. Matlin was instrumental in establishing
the boards of the Starlight Children's Hearing Foundation to raise money to congressional legislation requiring that
Foundation, which brightens the lives of donate hearing aids to needy people. all televisions manufactured in the US be
terminally ill children, and of Very Special When the disabled needed someone to equipped with Closed Caption
Arts, an organization that aims to help, Marlee set a good example for technology. And mindful of others’
provide every young person with a people who wanted to give.(icelebz) disabilities, she is an honorary board
disability to high quality arts learning member for Easter Seals, which offers
experiences. (looktothestars.com) services, therapies and treatments to
disabled children and adults.

NICOLE M OBERMAIER Friday, March 12, 2010 11:11:14 AM ET