Lauren Ridloff facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lauren Ridloff
Ridloff at the 2019 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	Lauren Teruel (1978-04-06) April 6, 1978 (age 47) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Education	California State University, Northridge (BA, 2001) Hunter College (MEd, 2005)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2017–present
Spouse(s)	Douglas Ridloff ​ (m. 2006)​
Children	2

Lauren Ridloff (born April 6, 1978) is an American actress. She is deaf and is famous for her roles in the TV show The Walking Dead and the movie Eternals.

In 2018, she became well-known for her main role in the Broadway play Children of a Lesser God. This role earned her a nomination for a Tony Award. Before acting, Lauren Ridloff was a teacher. She also won the Miss Deaf America competition.

Early life and school

Lauren Ridloff was born on April 6, 1978, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was born deaf. Her father was Mexican-American, and her mother was African-American. Her parents learned American Sign Language (ASL) with her.

She went to Catholic school with kids who could hear. When she was 13, she stopped using her voice. She wanted people to judge her by her intelligence, not by how well she spoke. After Catholic school, she went to the Model Secondary School for the Deaf in Washington, D.C.. Here, she was with other deaf students. She started to explore arts like ceramics and drama. She even played Dorothy in a school play called The Wiz. She was also a cheerleader and competed internationally.

Lauren chose to go to California State University, Northridge. This university has many deaf students. She studied English and creative writing, finishing in 2001. In college, she joined a deaf performing group and learned hip-hop dancing.

After college, she won the Miss Deaf America competition. She was the first person of African-American or Mexican-American background to win. For two years, she traveled as a spokesperson for the National Association of the Deaf.

Later, Lauren went to Hunter College in New York. She studied education to become a children's author. After getting her master's degree in 2005, she taught kindergarten and first grade. She also acted in deaf community plays. In 2006, she married Douglas Ridloff, whom she met in college. They have two sons, both of whom are deaf.

Acting career

Starting with Children of a Lesser God

Lauren Ridloff had small roles in films like Sign Gene: The First Deaf Superheroes and Wonderstruck in 2017. She also appeared in a music video for John Legend.

When director Kenny Leon was planning a new version of the play Children of a Lesser God, he hired Lauren to teach him American Sign Language. He had cast Joshua Jackson for the male lead but still needed the female lead.

One day, Kenny Leon asked Lauren to fill in for an actress during a practice reading. She did so well that he offered her the main role of Sarah Norman. This was a big challenge because she had not used her voice since she was 13. With a vocal coach, she slowly became more comfortable. She said it felt "empowering" to use her voice again.

The play opened on Broadway in April 2018. Critics were very impressed by Lauren's performance.

The Walking Dead, Eternals, and more

Lauren Ridloff was a fan of The Walking Dead TV series. She sent in an audition tape and was cast as Connie. She first appeared in the show's ninth season in October 2018.

In July 2019, Lauren was cast in the 2021 superhero movie Eternals. She played the superhero Makkari. In the original comics, Makkari is a hearing, white man. But the movie's director, Chloé Zhao, wanted to have more diverse actors. So, Lauren's casting made Makkari a deaf woman of color. This made Lauren the first deaf superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

To film Eternals, Lauren took a break from The Walking Dead. After she appeared in Eternals, many more people searched online for American Sign Language courses.

In 2022, Lauren was cast in an episode of the TV show Accused. The episode was directed by Marlee Matlin, another famous deaf actress. It aired in January 2023.

Awards and advocacy

In 2020, Lauren Ridloff received the SAG-AFTRA Harold Russell Award. This award honors actors with disabilities. The same year, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) named her a "Breakthrough performer."

In March 2023, the New York Women in Film & Television honored Lauren at their Muse Awards. In December, she gave a speech at Kean University. She talked about the importance of including more diverse people in movies and TV shows.

Credits

Accolades

Images for kids

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  Lauren Ridloff after her play Children of a Lesser God in May 2018

See also

In Spanish: Lauren Ridloff para niños