When “CODA” star Troy Kotsur took the stage to accept his Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, he gave the audience a speech that they won’t soon forget. After joking about teaching President Joe Biden “dirty sign language” during the cast’s visit to the White House, Kotsur got more serious about dedicating his win to the people in his life.
“My dad, he was the best signer in our family,” Kotsur signed to the audience. “But he was in a car accident, and he became paralyzed from the neck down, and he no longer was able to sign. Dad, I learned so much from you. I’ll always love you. You are my hero. Thank you to my biggest fans, my wife and my daughter, Kyra, and my hometown of Mesa, Arizona, and Mark Finley, my manager, and our team.”
To wrap up the touching speech, Kotsur showed love to his community and those he’s lost. “I just wanted to say that this is dedicated to the Deaf community, the ‘CODA’ community, and the disabled community,” he signed. “This is our moment. To my mom, my dad and my brother Mark, they’re not here today. But look at me now. I did it. I love you. Thank you.” And if his speech wasn’t enough to bring you to tears, the audience signing their applause right back to him might just do it.
