Troy Kotsur facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Troy Kotsur
Kotsur at the 2022 Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Born	Troy Michael Kotsur (1968-07-24) July 24, 1968 (age 56) Mesa, Arizona, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1989–present
Spouse(s)	Deanne Bray ​ (m. 2001)​
Children	1
Awards	Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (2022)

Troy Michael Kotsur (born July 24, 1968) is an American actor. He was born deaf. Kotsur started acting in the late 1980s with the National Theatre of the Deaf.

He first appeared on TV in 2001 in an episode of Strong Medicine. His first movie role was in the 2007 thriller The Number 23. Kotsur made history by winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the movie CODA (2021). This made him the first deaf male actor to win an Oscar for acting.

Early Life and Education

Troy Kotsur was born in Mesa, Arizona, on July 24, 1968. His parents were JoDee and Leonard Stephen "Len" Kotsur. When Troy was nine months old, his parents learned he was deaf. They quickly learned American Sign Language (ASL) so their family could talk to each other.

His parents encouraged Troy to play sports and make friends with kids who could hear. Troy went to the Phoenix Day School for the Deaf. There, he first became interested in acting. He later graduated from Westwood High School. His drama teacher encouraged him to perform in a show. He did a pantomime skit that people really liked. This made him want to act even more.

After high school, Kotsur went to Gallaudet University from 1987 to 1989. He studied theater, television, and film.

Career Highlights

Troy Kotsur got an acting job offer from the National Theatre of the Deaf. He left college to tour with them for two years. In 1994, he started working at Deaf West Theatre in Los Angeles, California. He acted in and directed many plays there. Some of his stage roles included Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire and Prince Hamlet in Ophelia.

In 2001, Kotsur was in a Deaf West Theatre play called Big River. He shared the role of Pap with a hearing actor. Kotsur used sign language, while the other actor spoke and sang. Big River was very successful. It even moved to Broadway in New York City. Kotsur also had a role on the TV show Sue Thomas: F.B.Eye. He also worked as an ASL specialist for the show.

In 2012, Kotsur starred in the play Cyrano. This play was based on Cyrano de Bergerac. After Cyrano, Kotsur directed a movie called No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie. It came out in 2013.

In 2019, Kotsur appeared in the Disney+ series The Mandalorian. He helped create the sign language used by the Tusken Raiders in the show. He was then cast to play a lead Tusken Raider.

In 2021, Kotsur starred in the movie CODA. He played the deaf father of a teenage daughter who could hear. Critics and audiences loved his performance. Kotsur won many awards for this role. These included the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. His Oscar win made him the first deaf male actor to win an Academy Award for acting.

Kotsur is also set to star in a TV show called Flash Before the Bang. This sports drama will have an all-deaf cast.

Personal Life

Troy Kotsur is married to actress Deanne Bray. She is also deaf. They have one daughter named Kyra Monique Kotsur, who was born in 2005.

Acting Credits

Film Roles

Television Roles

Theatre Roles

Awards and Honors

See also

In Spanish: Troy Kotsur para niños