Shattering stereotypes: 5 deaf celebrities in Hollywood | I Talk Movies
About 48 million Americans — nearly 20% of the population— report having some kind of hearing loss, according to the Hearing Loss Association of America. According to statistics, there are a good number of deaf celebrities. Check out our list of five celebrities with hearing loss that you may not have known about:
1. Halle Berry.
Before she was ever in an abusive relationship, Halle Berry, the first black woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress, took a blow to the head that caused her to lose about 80% of her hearing in her left ear. Berry is now a vocal supporter of increasing public awareness of domestic abuse.
2. Jane Lynch.
Jane Lynch, a comedy actress and star of Glee, has been deaf in her right ear for virtually her entire life. This deafness is most likely the result of a severe fever during infancy. She believed that individuals simply couldn't hear out of their left ear until her brother informed her one day that he could hear with both of his ears, when she was just 7 years old.
3. Marlee Matlin.
Although Marlee Matlin is arguably one of the most well-known Deaf celebrities, not everyone may be aware of her deafness. During her time on Dancing with the Stars in 2008, Matlin revealed that she received hundreds of letters every week from her supporters expressing their gratitude for helping her challenge the stereotype that “Deaf people can do anything except hear.”
4. Nyle DiMarco
If you only saw him posing in a magazine, you wouldn’t realize Nyle DiMarco has been deaf since birth and was born into a huge, multigenerational Deaf family. After winning America's Next Top Model in 2015, Nyle—another well-known Deaf celebrity—enjoyed a booming career in acting and modeling. He then became the second deaf competitor on Dancing with the Stars, behind none other than Marlee Matlin. In the end, Nyle became the competition's first-ever Deaf winner.
5. Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Lawrence disclosed that she suffered repeated ear infections and an accident that caused her to momentarily lose her hearing while filming the Hunger Games sequel, Catching Fire. Her eardrum was perforated by a water jet when she was doing the underwater acrobatics for the movie. Since then, Lawrence has fully recovered.
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