HOLLYWOOD - In a casting coup that has the entertainment industry buzzing, Marlee Matlin has been tapped to play a deaf prosecutor on an upcoming Law & Order. After reading the script, her agent, Larry Nydes, felt that she was perfect for the part.
“Everything about this character made me think this role would really suit Marlee. The sensitivity of the prosecutor. Her courtroom presence. Her insightful nature. And, of course, her deafness.”
Nydes also thought this role gave his client a chance to expand her repertoire a bit. “Marlee has recently played a deaf doctor on ER, a deaf card dealer on Las Vegas, and a deaf teacher on the King of Queens. So it’s nice to let her stretch herself creatively with a new role like this.”
When Law & Order casting director Bill Hughes was asked what part of the script made him think of Matlin, he said he really hadn’t read the script yet when he made the inquiry about her availability. “Uh, honestly, I just saw ‘FEMALE-LEAD, DEAF’ and made the call for Marlee.”
Although most industry observers applaud the move, some other deaf actresses, such as Leslie Garrison, expressed frustration. “I’m tired of it,” signed Garrison. “Every single deaf female role goes to her. She’s not the only actress in town. I can act as well as her. And I can certainly not hear as well as her.”
“Everything about this character made me think this role would really suit Marlee. The sensitivity of the prosecutor. Her courtroom presence. Her insightful nature. And, of course, her deafness.”
Nydes also thought this role gave his client a chance to expand her repertoire a bit. “Marlee has recently played a deaf doctor on ER, a deaf card dealer on Las Vegas, and a deaf teacher on the King of Queens. So it’s nice to let her stretch herself creatively with a new role like this.”
When Law & Order casting director Bill Hughes was asked what part of the script made him think of Matlin, he said he really hadn’t read the script yet when he made the inquiry about her availability. “Uh, honestly, I just saw ‘FEMALE-LEAD, DEAF’ and made the call for Marlee.”
Although most industry observers applaud the move, some other deaf actresses, such as Leslie Garrison, expressed frustration. “I’m tired of it,” signed Garrison. “Every single deaf female role goes to her. She’s not the only actress in town. I can act as well as her. And I can certainly not hear as well as her.”
