At the 94th Academy Awards, Troy Kotsur won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in CODA, available on Apple TV+. He is first deaf man, and second deaf performer after Marlee Matlin, to win an Academy Award.

However, long before this historic accomplishment, Kotsur already had a successful career on stage, particularly in Deaf West Theatre productions. He also has appeared in movies and on TV, including joining George Lucas’ Star Wars universe as a Tusken Raider in Disney’s The Mandalorian, created by Jon Favreau and currently streaming on Disney+.

Kotsur visited Austin, Texas in June to collaborate with Dad Saves America on an upcoming documentary about his story, with a focus on the impact of dads on the flourishing of their children. Kotsur’s visit culminated in a live event at Texas School for the Deaf, during which he taught an acting workshop for students and, later in the evening, gave a speech that drew a packed audience.

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Troy's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/troykotsur/?hl=en

Troy's Twitter: https://twitter.com/TroyKotsur?ref_src=twsrc^google|twcamp^serp|twgr^author

Texas School for the Deaf: https://www.tsd.state.tx.us/

Deaf West Theatre: https://www.deafwest.org/

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Outline: 

[0:00] Intro 

[1:43] The impact of “CODA” 

[12:35] Choosing roles as an actor 

[15:15] Educating the public about ASL 

[17:00] Troy’s dad is his hero 

[27:19] Rejecting victimhood 

[30:27] Growing up deaf 

[35:04] Cochlear implants aren’t for everyone  

[42:42] The public school experience as a deaf teenager   

[55:40] Troy’s dad was pillar of the community 

[58:38] Advice for parents of deaf children 

[1:01:17] Sending your children out into the world 

[1:07:25] Acting is a tough job 

[1:12:03] Bringing together deaf and hearing audiences  

[1:17:34] What it means to be a hero 

[1:20:09] The role of dad in the American story 

[1:24:21] Troy’s plans for the future 

[1:25:24] Outro

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Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wNm28M8Fsl8

Make a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?

Visit our website: https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/

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Dad Saves America is a channel dedicated to celebrating heroic fatherhood while teaching the next generation of fathers strategies they can utilize in parenting their children. We believe strong children come from a strong family. We’ve had many experts in the studio, including Jonathan Haidt, Mike Yates, Lenore Skenazy, Warren Farrell, Matt Ridley, Martin Gurri, and Michael Strong.