Troy Kotsur holding his Academy Award, which he won for his performance in ‘CODA.’ Photo Courtesy of ABC
Acclaimed actor Troy Kotsur chatted about his 2022 Academy Award for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role” for his powerful performance as Frank Rossi in “CODA.”
Olympic gold medalist and world record holder sprinter Usain Bolt once said: “Dreams are free. Goals have a cost. While you can daydream for free, goals don’t come without a price. Time, Effort, Sacrifice, and Sweat.” An individual and actor that exemplified this wise quote by the fastest man alive is Oscar winner Troy Kotsur.
Background on ‘CODA’
The synopsis of the movie “CODA” is as follows: Gifted with a voice that her parents can’t hear, 17-year-old Ruby (Emilia Jones), is the sole hearing member of a deaf family—a CODA, Child of Deaf Adults.
Her life revolves around acting as an interpreter for her parents (Marlee Matlin and Troy Kotsur) and working on the family’s struggling fishing boat every day before school with her father and older brother (Daniel Durant).
When Ruby joins her high school’s choir club, she discovers a gift for singing and finds herself drawn to her duet partner Miles (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo). Encouraged by her enthusiastic, tough-love choirmaster (Eugenio Derbez) to apply to an elite music school, Ruby finds herself torn between the obligations she feels to her family and the pursuit of her own dreams.
The official trailer for “CODA” may be seen below.
Winning the 2022 Oscar trophy
The 94th Academy Awards were held on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland in Los Angeles, California, and they were televised live on ABC, and in over 200 territories worldwide.
On his Academy Award win for “Best Supporting Actor,” Kotsur said, “I was so excited and I felt like it was really amazing that this was actually happening. Whether or not I was a Deaf actor, I was being recognized for my work and my talent. CODA and the Deaf community were really proud to be seen and represented, and finally, there is a shift in perspective and a new acceptance.”
This marked a historic win for Kotsur since he became the first Deaf man to win an Academy Award, and the second Deaf performer overall along with Marlee Matlin, who won for “Best Actress” for “Children of a Lesser God.” Ironically enough, Matlin also starred in “CODA” opposite Kotsur and she played his wife, Jackie Rossi.
His humble and gracious Academy Award acceptance speech may be seen below on the official ABC YouTube channel.
Portraying Frank Rossi in ‘CODA’
Kotsur embodied the role of Frank Rossi in “CODA” and he did that in a raw, honest, and refreshing manner. He stayed true to himself and his artistry, and his dynamic performance was able to move the global audience on an emotional level. Simply put, Kotsur was the heart and soul of this poignant Apple TV+ film.
The actor was drawn to playing his character Frank for several reasons. “What I loved about Frank was him being able to drop so many F-bombs because it was great. This is being seen in sign language for the first time on the big screen, we don’t often get the opportunity to portray that part of our culture. We have seen all of the swear words in subtitles in English-speaking films but where is our opportunity as a Deaf community so I love that about playing Frank’s character,” he said.
“I love that Frank has a big heart and he cherishes his family. He was frustrated and had struggles with the outside world but he wasn’t a victim, he was just an everyday guy and an everyday person, who happened to be a father,” Kotsur elaborated.
In addition, Kotsur won the prestigious 2022 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award for “Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role” and the cast of “CODA” won for “Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.”
Kotsur also picked up the 2022 Independent Spirit Award for “Best Supporting Male,” the BAFTA Award for “Best Actor in a Supporting Role,” the Critics’ Choice Award for “Best Supporting Actor,” and the Gotham Award for “Outstanding Supporting Performance.” He was also nominated for the 2022 Golden Globe Award for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture.”
He is the first Deaf actor to win a SAG Award, a BAFTA, and a Critics’ Choice Award for acting.
Working with showrunner Sian Heder
A coming-of-age film “CODA” was written and directed by Sian Heder, and it was distributed by Apple TV+. Aside from Kotsur winning for “Best Supporting Actor,” the film also won the Oscar for “Best Adapted Screenplay” (for Heder) and it won the coveted “Best Motion Picture of the Year” category. “I was so impressed with Sian, and how her process was. She did so much research and she took her time to learn sign language even before she met me,” he said.
“When she met me for the first time she knew a little bit of sign language and she was very sensitive and open-minded to our concerns, and she respected Deaf culture. She wasn’t about ‘my way or the highway.’ They were so sensitive to our concerns, and that was beautiful of Sian and her team. They worked together in collaboration with us. They didn’t want to take Deaf culture away, they wanted to portray it accurately. It was amazing to see that in action,” he exclaimed.
“It’s funny because I told Sian that whatever script she writes, I am going to say ‘yes’ even without reading it. If she is directing, I will do it. If it’s a Sian Heder project, I will definitely be involved because we have built this amazing trust and I know she is going to continue to be a great director,” he acknowledged.
“I am sure her phone is ringing off the hook with all of these people asking her how to have an effective setup with Deaf actors on set because she is ahead of the game,” he added.
The digital age
On being an actor in the digital age, with all of these streaming platforms being so prevalent, including Apple TV+, (the streaming service for “CODA”), Kotsur said, “It means so much and I am so grateful to Apple because they have had such a big heart, and they knew that our film ‘CODA’ could reach out worldwide to a larger audience. I am extremely grateful for their support.”
“The fact that they agreed to burned-in captioning was such a big deal. I couldn’t imagine any other studio or streamer doing that but Apple went ahead with it and they took the risk, and they were able to reach an even larger audience because it’s not only Deaf people that benefit from burned-in captioning but other people as well. They have the option to enjoy the subtitles,” he elaborated.
“If someone is on a date, you can go on your dates together and watch the film and enjoy it. The audience is able to emote and react simultaneously. Finally, we were able to have this collaboration and make our film enjoyable for everyone, and they can all enjoy it together,” he added.
Advice for hopefuls in acting
For young and aspiring actors, Kotsur remarked, “When you find your talent and your passion, you are going to have a lot of people criticizing you so just start paying attention to your talent and grow with your talent and allow it to blossom.”
“If you are an actor, play in small theaters, play in big theaters and go to workshops and trainings but make sure you have a side job to support yourself because you can’t escape paying your electric bill and you can’t escape paying the utilities and paying for food. Make sure you have a side gig, and finish college but continue acting and continue theater. You may need certification or training and build your network. You really need to build your reputation in whatever you do in life, and remain persistent,” he explained.
“I have a 3.5-page resume of all the plays I was in over the last 30 years, and really, I can’t even condense it into one page,” he added.
On the title of the current chapter of his life, Kotsur revealed, “It’s About F-ing Time.”
If he were to have any superpower, he responded, “It would be really nice if I could become the Incredible Hulk and also have sign language then I could force everyone to learn sign language or I would beat them up,” he said.
Success
Regarding his definition of the word success, Kotsur said, “Well, success could apply to anything: to the Academy Awards, to recognition, to getting a Ph.D. or a Bachelor’s degree to really moving up in your job, you can move all the way up to becoming president, or progress, in general, is success.”
“Having a lasting marriage is success. If you are with someone until death, oh my Gosh that is success right there,” he said with a sweet laugh.
“There are a lot of definitions to success. If I try and play video games, I am not successful. I will completely lose and I will fail at being a gamer,” he added.
American track and field legend Steve Prefontaine once said: “To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.” Kotsur embodies this inspirational quotation by yet another iconic runner. Kotsur is a versatile actor, whose acting work is transcendent in television, theater, and film.
Most importantly, with “CODA,” Kotsur solidified himself in the history of cinema as a true force to be reckoned with in the entertainment industry, and hopefully, this is a harbinger of more great things to come for the distinguished Deaf actor and filmmaker.
“I really hope that everyone sees Deaf people as just people,” he said. We have the same way of thinking, we drive, we work, and we have struggles in life. The only difference is communication, and the language we communicate in. That’s it, so I am really hoping that more folks learn American Sign Language (ASL), and I would really like to let them know that ASL has many beautiful benefits.”
“If you have a sore throat or a cold and you can’t talk, you have sign language to communicate with,” he said. “If you want to communicate underwater, you can have a complete communication —and you can spread rumors underwater with complete detail!”
Kotsur continued, “The benefits of ASL are truly amazing. It is such a beautiful language, and I hope more people become motivated worldwide to learn sign language. There is more than one language, it just so happens we have ASL in the United States and Canada, and we’ve had this language for such a long time, and so many folks have ignored that.”
“I would like to thank Hollywood for accepting us, our culture, and our language. Now, you can hear, you can see, and you can experience ASL in its most beautiful form,” he concluded.
To learn more about “CODA” or to stream the three-time Academy Award-winning film online, visit the Apple TV+ website.
Many thanks to Troy Kotsur’s interpreter, Justin Maurer, for his exceptional interpretation services and assistance during this interview.