Troy Michael Kotsur is an American actor in theater, film, and television.
16 Facts About Troy Kotsur
2.
Troy Kotsur's supporting role in the film CODA earned him a number of accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Critics' Choice Movie Award.
3.
Troy Kotsur is the first deaf actor to win the latter three awards, and first deaf man and second deaf performer overall to win the first.
4.
Troy Kotsur was born in Mesa, Arizona, the largest suburb of Phoenix, on July 24,1968, to JoDee and Leonard Stephen "Len" Troy Kotsur, who was Mesa's police chief.
5.
When Troy Kotsur was nine months old, his parents discovered that he was deaf, and they learned American Sign Language so the family could communicate.
6.
Troy Kotsur's parents encouraged Kotsur to play sports and to make friends with hearing children in their neighborhood.
7.
Troy Kotsur attended the Phoenix Day School for the Deaf, where he first became interested in acting.
8.
Troy Kotsur graduated from Westwood High School where his drama teacher encouraged him to participate in the senior variety show.
9.
Troy Kotsur performed a pantomime skit that was positively received and motivated him to pursue theater.
10.
When Troy Kotsur received an acting job offer from the National Theatre of the Deaf, he accepted it and left Gallaudet to tour with NTD for two years, performing in two plays.
11.
In 2001, Troy Kotsur and hearing actor Lyle Kanouse were cast together in a Deaf West Theatre production of the 1985 musical Big River.
12.
In 2012, Troy Kotsur starred in the play Cyrano, based on Cyrano de Bergerac and a co-production of Deaf West Theatre and The Fountain Theatre.
13.
Troy Kotsur did not mention that he was an actor for fear that it would come across as sycophantic.
14.
In 2021, Troy Kotsur appeared in the feature film CODA in a supporting role as the deaf father of a hearing teenage daughter.
15.
Troy Kotsur is set to star in Flash Before the Bang, a sports drama television show with an all-deaf cast.
16.
Troy Kotsur is married to actor Deanne Bray, who is deaf, and they have one daughter, Kyra Monique Troy Kotsur, born on September 8,2005.