Marlee Matlin

Marlee Matlin Introduction

Overcoming a handicap such as impaired hearing, Marlee has been somewhat of a survivor, overcoming obstacles all of her life, inspiring fans and loved ones to carve a highly successful life and venerable career as a talented stage and film actress.

Marlee Matlin Biography

Marlee Matlin Early life and education

Marlee was born Marlee Beth Matlin on August 24, 1965, in Morton Grove, Illinois, a Chicago suburb, to Don and Libby Matlin; she was their third child. Marlee became deaf at the age of 18 months due to a bout with Roseola Infantum. A graduate of John Hersey High School in nearby Arlington Heights, after high school Marlee studied Criminal Justice at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, and maintained her passion for acting after graduating. While performing on stage throughout Chicago and the Midwest, Marlee attracted notice for her performance in a production of the Tony award-winning play Children of a Lesser God and was cast in the movie version in 1986, her film debut.

Film

Marlee's role in the Children of a Lesser God film brought her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama and an Academy Award for Best Actress (at age 21, the youngest actress ever to win in that category). In 1989, she played a deaf widow in Bridge to Silence. Matlin was nominated for a Golden Globe award for her work as the lead female role in the television series Reasonable Doubts (1991–1993) and was nominated for an Emmy Award for a guest appearance in Picket Fences. She became a regular on the series during its final season. She portrayed Carrie Buck in the made for cable television drama film Against Her Will: The Carrie Buck Story (1994) based on the United States Supreme Court case Buck v. Bell 274 U.S. 200 (1927). In the movie, Matlin played a hearing woman for the first time and earned a CableACE Nomination as Best Actress.

TV appearances

On February 4, 2007, Matlin performed the "Star Spangled Banner" in American Sign Language at Super Bowl XLI in Miami, Florida. In January 2008, she appeared on Nip/Tuck as a television executive. On February 18, 2008, it was announced that Matlin would participate as a competitor in the sixth season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. Her dance partner was newcomer Fabian Sanchez. Matlin and Sanchez were the sixth couple eliminated from the competition.

On May 6, 2009, Marlee received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

On November 8, 2009, Matlin appeared on Seth & Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show, hosted by Seth MacFarlane and Alex Borstein. After Borstein imitated Matlin calling MovieFone and singing "Poker Face", Matlin herself appeared and launched into a comical tirade against Borstein over being made fun of, and how she was not invited to provide her own voice for the Cartoon Network's Family Guy animated TV series.

In 2010, Marlee produced a pilot for a reality show entitled My Deaf Family, which she presented to various national network executives. Although they expressed interest, no network purchased rights to the show for ongoing production. On March 29, 2010, she uploaded the pilot to YouTube and launched a viral marketing campaign.

Marlee also was a finalist on the NBC show The Celebrity Apprentice, competing to win money for her charity, The Starkey Hearing Foundation, finishing in second place. However, on one episode of The Celebrity Apprentice ("The Art of the Deal" aired on April 3, 2011), Matlin raised more funds than had ever been raised for charity in a single event on any television show before ($986,000). Donald Trump then donated an additional $14,000 to make the contribution an even million. The money was donated to Matlin's charity of choice, The Starkey Hearing Foundation.

Marlee Matlin Personal life and charitable causes

Marlee has been actively involved with a number of charitable organizations over the course of her career, including Easter Seals (where she was appointed an Honorary Board Member), the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, VSA arts, and the Red Cross Celebrity Cabinet. She was appointed by President Clinton in 1994 to the Corporation for National Service and served as chair of National Volunteer Week. Marlee also received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree from Gallaudet University in 1987. In October 2007, she was appointed to the Gallaudet University Board of Trustees.

Marlee attended the 1987 Oscars to present the Academy Award for Best Actor. After signing her introduction in ASL, she spoke aloud the "names of the nominees" and of Michael Douglas, the winner.

I'll Scream Later Autobiography

On April 14, 2009, Matlin released an autobiography, I'll Scream Later. In it she describes past drug abuse problem and how it let her to check herself in to the Betty Ford clinic. She also wrote about a rocky, two-year relationship with actor William Hurt, and being a past victim of pedophilia as a child at the hands of a former babysitter.