Marlee Matlin paired with Fabian Sanchez on DWTS
Oscar winning actress Marlee Matlin is going to be one of the celebrity dancers this season on “Dancing with the Stars.” However, like Heather Mills, she will have a disadvantage the other contestants won’t have to worry about – Marlee is almost completely deaf.
Marlee was born on August 24, 1965 in Morton Grove, Illinois. She completely lost all the hearing in her right ear and 80% of the hearing in her left ear at the tender age of eighteen months due to Roseola Infantum. That didn’t stop her from an early interest in acting – she played Dorothy in a children’s theatre company’s production of “The Wizard of Oz” at age 7.
Marlee graduated from John Hersey High School then attended Harper College, where she studied Criminal Justice. Marlee was performing in the stage version of “Children of a Lesser God” when she was noticed and cast in the 1986 movie of the same name. It was that role, although her film debut, that won Marlee an Academy Award for Best Actress. She was the youngest actress, at age 21, to win that honor. Since then, she has starred in numerous movies including Walker, Hear No Evil, and It’s My Party. This versatile actress has appeared on many television shows, both dramas and comedies, including “Reasonable Doubts,” “Spin City,” “Picket Fences,” “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit,” “The West Wing,” “Nip/Tuck,” “My Name is Earl,” and The L Word.” She was nominated for an Emmy in 1994 for her performance on “Picket Fences.” A mother of four, Marlee has also appeared in a Baby Einstein DVD and on “Blue’s Clues.” Marlee is the wife of police officer Kevin Grandalski. The couple has four children – Sarah (10), Brandon (5), Tyler (3), and Isabelle (2).
Recently, Marlee appeared on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” in which she presented the eldest son of the Vardon family, Stefan, $50,000 to go to the college of his choice. Stefan’s parents are both deaf and his younger brother is blind and autistic. Marlee is involved in many charities. She is a spokesperson for the National Captioning Institute. She testified before Congress in 1995 to get a law passed that required all television 13 inches or larger to come equipped with chips to provide Closed Captioning for the deaf. She also serves as the chairperson for National Volunteer Week and the American Red Cross. She serves on the board of The Children Affected by AIDS Foundation and Easter Seals.
She has written three books: “Nobody’s Perfect,” “Deaf Child Crossing,” and the soon to be released “Leading Ladies.” Marlee also performed the National Anthem at this year’s Super Bowl XLI in American Sign Language.
Being on “Dancing with the Stars” might be more difficult for Marlee than the other contestants due to her deafness, but it won’t get her down. She has said, “I have always resisted putting limitations on myself, both professionally and personally.”
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