Actress Marlee Matlin, known to many for her Academy-Award winning performance in “Children of a Lesser God,” was born in Morton Grove in 1965.

From a young age, Matlin had a passion for acting, starring in theater productions when she was just 7 years old. She gained attention during her role in the play “Children of a Lesser God,” which led to her casting in the movie version. Matlin won an Oscar for her work, becoming the youngest recipient of the Best Actress Oscar. 

Even with the loss of most of her hearing as an infant, Matlin never let her disability define her or get in her way. In 1995, she testified in front of Congress in support of a proposal to mandate the installation of closed captioning technology on all new televisions, something she has also traveled the globe in supporting.

Matlin was the keynote speaker at the Disability Awareness Cultural Dinner at Illinois State University last night, speaking in front of a sold-out audience about the importance of inclusion and acceptance of all people.

In addition to her philanthropic work, Matlin has starred in numerous movies and television shows, including “Dancing with the Stars,” “The L Word,” “CSI: New York” and “Desperate Housewives.”

Learn more:
Marlee Matlin – IMDb Profile
Marlee Matlin – Official Website