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Birth
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Hearing loss
Marlee Matlin was only 18 months old when an illness permanently destroyed all hearing in her right ear, and 80 percent of the hearing in her left ear, making her legally deaf. -
Sign Language
Matlin began learning to use sign language around the age of 5, but her parents struggled -
Academy Award for Best Actress
Matlin won the Academy Award for Best Actress -
TV Drama
Matlin went on to star in the TV drama Reasonable Doubts with Mark Harmon, which debuted in 1991 and lasted for two seasons. -
Life of a comedian
In 1993, she demonstrated her comedic abilities with her guest appearance as Jerry Seinfeld's lip-reading romantic interest on the hit sitcom Seinfeld -
Emmy Award nominations
She received Emmy Award nominations in 1994 for her work on both series. -
Deaf Child Crossing
Matlin's first young adult book, Deaf Child Crossing, was published in 2002 -
I'll Scream Later
Matlin also returned to writing, and used her own life as her subject matter. In 2009, she published her autobiography, I'll Scream Later