This article lists the film, television, and theater appearances of American actress Marlee Matlin. Matlin, who had previously acted in stage productions, made her screen debut as the female lead in the 1986 film Children of a Lesser God, for which she won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, becoming the youngest Best Actress winner and the first deaf performer to have won an Academy Award.
Matlin, who is deaf, generally plays deaf characters. However, in 1994 Matlin played a hearing woman in the title role of the television movie Against Her Will: The Carrie Buck Story, based on the true story of Carrie Buck, who was not deaf. Matlin was nominated for a CableACE Award for her performance.
Although Matlin has continued to make occasional film appearances, most of her work has been in television. From 1991 to 1993, she starred in the police drama series Reasonable Doubts as Assistant District Attorney Tess Kaufman, receiving two Golden Globe nominations. She has had recurring roles as Mayor Laurie Bey in Picket Fences (for which she received an Emmy Award nomination), pollster Joey Lucas in The West Wing (appearing on all seven seasons of its run), attorney Ruby Whitlow in My Name Is Earl, gay sculptor Jodi Lerner in The L Word, and guidance counselor Melody Bledsoe in Switched at Birth. Her numerous guest appearances have included Seinfeld, The Practice, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, each of which brought her another Emmy nomination.
Matlin has also competed on the game shows Dancing with the Stars and The Celebrity Apprentice. On the April 3, 2011 episode of The Celebrity Apprentice, Matlin raised $986,000 for her charity, the Starkey Hearing Foundation, setting a record for the most funds raised for charity in a single event on any television show. The show's production company then donated an additional $14,000 to bring the contribution to one million dollars.
Filmography Film YearTitleRoleNotes1986Children of a Lesser GodSarah NormanWon – Academy Award for Best Actress1987WalkerEllen Martin1991The Linguini IncidentJeanette1991L'Homme au masque d'orMaría1992The PlayerHerself1993Hear No EvilJillian Shanahan1996It's My PartyDaphne Stark1996SnitchCindy1999Two Shades of BlueBeth McDaniels1999In Her DefenseJane Claire1999When Justice FailsKaty Wesson2001AskariPaula McKinley2004What the Bleep Do We Know!?Amanda2005Baby Einstein: Baby WordsworthASL Instructor/HerselfVideo2006Baby Einstein: Baby's Favorite PlacesVideo2007Baby Einstein: My First SignsVideo2012ExcisionAmber20134ClosedAlly TurnerVideo2013No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy MovieHerself2014Some Kind of BeautifulCindy2019MultiverseDierdreAlso known as Entangled2021CODAJackie Rossi 2025 Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore Herself Documentary
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1988Sesame StreetHerself1 episode1989Bridge to SilencePeggy Lawrence TV movie1991–1993Reasonable DoubtsTess Kaufman44 episodes1993SeinfeldLauraEpisode: "The Lip Reader"1993–1996Picket FencesLaurie Bey14 episodes1994Adventures in WonderlandApril Hare Episode: "The Sound and the Furry"1994Against Her Will: The Carrie Buck StoryCarrie BuckTV movie1995Sweet JusticeBrianna Holland Episode: "Pledges"1995The Outer LimitsJennifer Winter Episode: "The Message"1997Dead SilenceMelanie Charrol TV movie1997The Larry Sanders ShowHerselfEpisode: "The Book"1997Spin CitySarah EdelmanEpisode: "Deaf Becomes Her"1998The Puzzle PlaceHerselfEpisode: "I'm Talking to You"1999Freak CityCassandraTV movie1999ERSL InstructorEpisode: "Storm: Part 1"1999Where the Truth LiesDana Sue LaceyTV movie, also executive producer1999Chicken Soup for the SoulTeacherEpisode: "The Perfect Dog"1999Judging AmyEliza Spears Episode: "An Impartial Bias"2000–2006The West WingJoey Lucas17 episodes2000The PracticeSally BergEpisode: "Life Sentence"2001Gideon's CrossingLindsay WarrenEpisode: "Orphans"2001Kiss My ActCasey TV movie2002–2003Blue's CluesHerself as a librarian 2 episodes2003The DivisionAnn Polton Episode: "Testimonial"2003Eddie's Million Dollar Cook-OffNoneTV movie, executive producer2004Extreme Makeover: Home EditionGuest starEpisode: "The Vardon Family"2004–2005Law & Order: Special Victims UnitDr. Amy Solwey2 episodes2005Desperate HousewivesAlisa StevensEpisode: "There Won't Be Trumpets"2006CSI: NYGina MitchumEpisode: "Silent Night"2006Extreme Makeover: Home EditionGuest hostEpisode: "The Llanes Family"2006–2007My Name Is EarlRuby Whitlow3 episodes2007–2009The L WordJodi Lerner29 episodes2008Dancing with the StarsHerself6 episodes2008Nip/TuckBarbara Shapiro Episode: "Magda & Jeff"2008Sweet Nothing in My EarLaura MillerTV movie2009Seth & Alex's Comedy ShowHerselfTV short2010Extreme Makeover: Home EditionGuest starEpisode: "Oregon School for the Deaf"2011–2012The Celebrity ApprenticeHerself13 episodes2011Comedy Central Roast of Donald TrumpHerselfTV movie2011CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationProf. Julia HoldenEpisode: "The Two Mrs. Grissoms"2011–2017Switched at BirthMelody Bledsoe45 episodes2012–2021Family GuyStella (voice) 7 episodes2013Celebrity Ghost StoriesHerselfEpisode: 5x132014GleeHerselfEpisode: "City of Angels"2014Cosmos: A Spacetime OdysseyAnnie Jump CannonVoice role, episode: "Sisters of the Sun"2016Code BlackKathy ByrneEpisode: "Ave Maria"2017Battle of the Network StarsHerselfEpisode: "White House vs. Lawyers" 2017Hollywood Medium with Tyler HenryHerselfEpisode: "Janice Dickinson/Joanna Krupa/Marlee Matlin"2017–2019The MagiciansHarrietGuest, 8 episodes2018QuanticoJocelyn TurnerSeries regular2018GoneMs. FinleyEpisode: "Romans"2019Limetown Deirdre Wells 3 episodes2022Blue's Clues & You!Herself (Video Letter)1 episode2022New Amsterdam Dr. Bev ClemonsEpisode: “Don’t Do This To Me”2023Hell's KitchenHerselfGuest diner; Episode: "Lights, Camera, Sabotage!"
Theater YearTitleRoleNotes1985Children of a Lesser GodLydiaChicago2015Spring Awakening Adult Women Broadway (Deaf West Theater)
See also List of awards and nominations received by Marlee Matlin List of Academy Award records List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees – Youngest winners for Best Actress in a Leading Role List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees – Youngest nominees for Best Actress in a Leading Role List of Jewish Academy Award winners and nominees List of actors with Academy Award nominations
References
External links
MarleeMatlin.net > About Marlee > Film/Television at the Official website