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Troy Kotsur is a study in perseverance. The Arizona native spent years honing his craft on stage at the National Theatre of the Deaf and the Deaf West Theatre in Los Angeles\u2014all the while wondering if Hollywood could ever fully embrace a deaf actor. \u201cIt's almost like a hair in my beard, just this one hair, and that represents the opportunities that I was given,\u201d he says. But that drive\u2014or \u201cstubbornness,\u201d as he himself puts it\u2014has finally paid off on a historic level. For his role in writer/director Sian Heder\u2019s \u201cCODA,\u201d Kotsur has been the one constant of this year\u2019s awards season, snagging wins at the Gotham Awards, the SAG Awards, and Independent Spirit Awards on the road to the 94th Academy Awards, where he is nominated for best supporting actor. A win would mark the first for a deaf male actor, and just the second for a deaf actor ever behind the trailblazing footsteps of Kotsur\u2019s \u201cCODA\u201d co-star, Marlee Matlin. \n\nIn this \u201cIn the Envelope\u201d episode, Kotsur walks Backstage through every stage of his winding journey, from the lessons learned from live theater, to a brief pitstop in the \u201cStar Wars\u201d galaxy, to the significance of his belated \u201cCODA\u201d breakthrough. Along the way, he offers invaluable advice to all actors\u2014deaf or hearing\u2014on the power of on-screen silence, scene partner eye contact, and never giving up. Read Backstage\u2019s cover story Matlin, here: https://bit.ly/35Lhhcb\n\nThis interview was conducted with the help of ASL interpreter, Justin Maurer.\n---\nBackstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage\u2019s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today\u2019s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. This is your guide to every aspect of acting, from voiceover and commercial work to casting directors, agents, and more. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made, to personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Jack Smart, Awards Editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ\n\nFollow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media:\n- https://www.facebook.com/backstage\n- https://www.twitter.com/backstage\n- https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope\n- https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast\n\nLooking to get cast? Subscribe here: www.backstage.com/subscribe\nBrowse Backstage casting listings: https://bit.ly/3mth68e\nCheck out our community-driven virtual programming, The Slate: https://bit.ly/2WDNXf0\nBackstage stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement: https://bit.ly/3cuMBt5\n\nSpecial thanks to...\n- Host: Jack Smart\n- Producer: Jamie Muffett\n- Social media: Katie Minard, Karen Jenkins\n- Design: Mark Stinson, Caitlin Watkins\n- Additional support: Kasey Howe, Samantha Sherlock, Benjamin Lindsay, Oriella St. Louis