When Troy Kotsur made history as the first Deaf male actor win an Oscar at the 2022 Academy Awards, he was thinking about his father.
By then, Kotsur had already become a hero to the Deaf community, widely celebrated for his acclaimed performance in the family drama “CODA.” It was easy to admire the tenacity and talent that had brought Kotsur, in his early 50s, to the movies' biggest stage after years of struggle as an actor in an industry not known for its hospitality to Deaf performers.
