Troy Kotsur has won Best Supporting Actor at the 94th Academy Awards for his role in CODA.
Kotsur beat out fellow nominees Ciarán Hinds (Belfast), Jesse Plemons (The Power of the Dog), J.K. Simmons (Being the Ricardos) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog).
Kotsur made history with his nomination and win, becoming the first deaf man nominated and the second deaf actor to win an Academy Award. He is the only deaf male to win an Oscar, with his CODA costar Marlee Matlin becoming the first Deaf actor ever to win an Oscar back in 1987, receiving the best actress award for Children of a Lesser God.
The actor was nominated for his performance in CODA as Frank Rossi, a deaf man who is navigating challenges to his Massachusetts fishing business as his hearing daughter, Ruby (Emilia Jones), who acts as the family’s interpreter, mulls a move to college.
Kotsur dedicated his win to the deaf and disabled community.
The two supporting performer categories were extremely solid this year, with the Best Supporting Actress group seeing Jessie Buckley (The Lost Daughter), Ariana DeBose (West Side Story), Judi Dench (Belfast), Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog) and Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard) all included.
The 2021 ceremony saw Daniel Kaluuya win the supporting actor nod, for his portrayal of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton in Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah.
During his acceptance speech, the actor acknowledged he shared the victory with his co-star and fellow nominee LaKeith Stanfield, who played FBI informant William O’Neal.
Speaking about Hampton, who was murdered by the FBI at the age of just 21, Kaluuya said, “What a man. What a man. How blessed we are we lived in a lifetime where he existed.”
Kaluuya’s speech went viral, thanks to his odd comments about his parents, with the actor remarking, “My mum, my dad — they had sex. It’s amazing I’m here.” The camera cut to Kaluuya’s sister, who had her head in her hands, and his mother, Damalie Namusoke, who appeared to mouth, “What is he on about?”.
The 94th Academy Awards made a triumphant return to Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre after 2021’s pared-back ceremony at Union Station and was hosted by Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall.
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