Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
I was born deaf. Sound never existed in my life, and this is completely normal to me.
I hated my childhood. It was loathsome. My parents were deaf and dumb. Profoundly so. They could make noises when they were emotionally aroused, but they couldn’t form it into speech.
How many deaf people do you know in real life? Unless they live in a cave, or are 14, which seems to be true for most people in this business, what could I possibly tell them that they don’t already know?
I was born partially deaf and suffered from labyrinthitis, which affected my balance. I had numerous ear infections and spent my childhood in and out of hospital having operations.
I’ve been involved in the deaf community for years, and my friends in the community that are actors or performers get very frustrated when they see hearing people portraying a deaf role.
If New York is a wise guy, Paris a coquette, Rome a gigolo and Berlin a wicked uncle, then London is an old lady who mutters and has the second sight. She is slightly deaf, and doesn’t suffer fools gladly.
There are so many people, deaf or otherwise abled, who are so talented but overlooked or not given a chance to even get their foot in the door.
If one can only see things according to one’s own belief system, one is destined to become virtually deaf, dumb, and blind.
The deaf community is hungry to see itself in the most positive way.
The deaf community is in a favorable position because they have a national theatre and training groups of their own to get them started. Deaf actors have often acquired very valuable skills and experience before they get their break.
I was always interested in storytelling, particularly in theater and film. I liked creative things. My mom and dad are wonderful people, but both are tone deaf, so I don’t know where the gene came from.
‘Switched at Birth’ has an amazing cast, including an Oscar winner and two Emmy nominees. The writing is very innovative, and the show’s producers have redefined U.S. TV by launching a mainstream show which includes multiple deaf cast members whose characters communicate only in ASL (American Sign Language).
Right after college, I was trying to figure out what to do. Teach? Act? Model? Do PR for the deaf community? And now I’m doing all I dreamed of and more.
