Troy Kotsur was the favorite to win best supporting actor for his role as a father who is deaf in “Coda” at the Academy Awards, and when he did it resulted in one of the loveliest moments of the night.
When presenter Youn Yuh-Jung announced Kotsur as the winner, the audience inside the Kodak Theatre stood and shook their hands in the air, making the sign language gestures for applause.
She handed him the Oscar, and then quickly took it back to free his hands for his acceptance speech.
“It’s really amazing that our film ‘Coda’ has reached out worldwide,” Kotsur said. “It even reached all the way to the White House.”
On a tour, and in meetings with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, Kotsur said he listened to his “Coda” costar Marlee Matlin’s advice, or perhaps warning. (Matlin is also the only other deaf actor to win an Oscar.)
“I was planning on teaching them some dirty sign language but Marlee Matlin told me to behave myself,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience.
Kotsur praised “Coda” director Sian Heder for bringing the deaf and hearing worlds together through the film.
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He mentioned his father, who after an accident became paralyzed and could no longer sign with him.
“Dad, I learned so much from you,” he said, as the sign-language interpreter sounded like he, like the audience, was getting choked up. “I’ll always love you. You are my hero.”
Kotsur closed with a dedication to the deaf community, and the “Coda” community.
“This is our moment,” he said. “Look at me now, I did it!”