Learn about the life and career of 4-time Emmy nominee Marlee Matlin as she shares her story in her native American Sign Language.
American Masters “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore airs Tuesday, October 14 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming on the WXXI app.
The documentary takes a closer look at Marlee Matlin’s life as a groundbreaking performer, whose meteoric and tumultuous rise to fame started in 1987 when she became the first Deaf actor to win an Academy Award for her role in Children of a Lesser God. At the age of twenty-one, Matlin was thrust into the national spotlight, becoming for many Americans the first Deaf person they saw on TV and overnight becoming the de-facto representative of the Deaf community.
Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore boasts never-before-seen home video filmed over the course of Matlin’s 37-year career by her longtime interpreter and producing partner Jack Jason—including footage of Matlin behind the scenes on the sets of some of her most iconic roles including Children of a Lesser God, The West Wing and Seinfeld. For the first time in her own language, Matlin will reflect on her relationship with actor William Hurt, her place in the Deaf community, her fight for roles and accessibility in Hollywood and what it means to be “the first.”
This film repeats Friday, October 17 at 4 p.m. and Saturday, October 18 at 3 p.m. on WXXI-TV.
Photo: Marlee Matlin
Credit: Provided by PBS