Marlee Matlin and Sian Heder on CODA
Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin is usually the only Deaf person on a set. Matlin came to a big realization when making \u201cCODA,\u201d a breakthrough film featuring Deaf actors.\xa0\u201cI\u2019m the one typically going to my trailer by myself, and it\u2019s just me and my interpreter. But in all honesty, I never thought of it until I got on the set of \u2018CODA\u2019 and realized there\u2019s a whole different world out there I\u2019ve been missing all this time,\u201d Matlin says. \u201cRealizing that here I am, on the set of \u2018CODA,\u2019 in my element at lunch time, because everybody is signing. The hearing crew \u2014 they\u2019re signing, there\u2019s Deaf cast members, and most importantly, our director learned sign language.\u201d Director Si\xe2n Heder and Matlin tell KCRW about making their family drama \u201cCODA,\u201d which scored a record-breaking deal at Sundance last year and has already made history. For the first time, a film featuring a Deaf cast has been nominated for Outstanding Performance at the SAG Awards.