“CODA” not only tells a beautiful coming of age story, but it also puts deaf actors (and the deaf community) front and center. In an acknowledgment of the film and how important it is, the cast (Oscar winner Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur, Emilia Jones, and Daniel Durant) paid a visit to the White House (via The Hollywood Reporter).
Kotsur — who was declared the real winner of the Oscars — acknowledged the special trip to the White House in his speech for best supporting actor, saying, “It’s really amazing that our film, ‘CODA,’ has reached out worldwide. It even reached all the way to the White House, and they invited the cast of ‘CODA’ to visit and have a tour of the White House” (via The Hill). “So, we met President Joe and Dr. Jill, and I was planning on teaching them some dirty sign language,” Kotsur joked. “But Marlee Matlin told me to behave myself.”
All jokes aside, the trip was a chance for advocacy as well. The cast even had the chance to meet with the White House Domestic Policy Council and Office of Public Engagement. Recently, the White House shared a short, heartwarming look into how the trip went, posting a video to Dr. Biden’s Instagram account. The caption on the video read, “To Marlee, Troy, Emilia, Daniel, and the entire cast of ‘CODA’ — the Rossi family will always live in our hearts. Thank you for an afternoon filled with so much.”
Awards season might be over, but “CODA”‘s impact will continue to live on.
