This year has been monumental for deaf representation in film and television. From Netflix crime thrillers to award-winning international cinema, deaf actors and actresses are commanding the screen in roles that showcase their full range—not just as “deaf characters,” but as complex, multi-dimensional humans.
🔥 TROY KOTSUR – “Black Rabbit” (Netflix, 2025)
The Oscar Winner Returns as a Deaf Mobster
Fresh off his historic 2022 Oscar win for CODA, Troy Kotsur returned in 2025 with his most unexpected role yet: Joe Mancuso, a ruthless deaf mob boss in Netflix’s crime thriller Black Rabbit.
Why It Matters:
- First deaf mobster in mainstream TV – “I’m sure folks in the audience have really never seen a mobster who happens to be deaf,” Kotsur told People.
- Co-starring alongside Jude Law and Jason Bateman
- Uses ASL with his criminal associates in tense, high-stakes scenes
- Released September 18, 2025 on Netflix
In his own words: “It was really fun for me to develop this character, a fresh take and a new perspective. It will open up new roles in the future, I hope. We’re not just actors who use sign language, we’re characters and we can play all different types of characters.”
Watch the trailer: https://www.netflix.com/title/81630027
🏆 MIRIAM GARLO – “Deaf” (Sorda, 2025)
Berlinale Winner & Spain’s Oscar Submission
Spanish deaf actress Miriam Garlo delivered what critics are calling the performance of the year in Eva Libertad’s Deaf (Sorda), a deeply personal film about a deaf woman navigating motherhood.
The Achievement:
- Won the Panorama Audience Award at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival (February 2025)
- Shortlisted as Spain’s official submission for the 98th Academy Awards
- 7.4 IMDb rating – Critics praised it as surpassing CODA in emotional depth
- Premiered in Spanish theaters April 4, 2025
The Story: Ángela (Garlo) is a deaf pottery artist expecting a baby with her hearing partner, Héctor (Álvaro Cervantes). The film intimately explores her fears about connecting with a hearing daughter in a world that refuses to accommodate her needs.
Why It Resonates:
- Semi-autobiographical – Based on the real fears of Garlo and her director sister Eva Libertad
- Filmed in Spanish and Spanish Sign Language
- Critics call it “profoundly nuanced” and “a revelatory performance”
Critical Acclaim:
- Screen International: “Authentically explores the challenges faced by deaf individuals in a hearing world”
- Cinemanía: 5 out of 5 stars – “A film about the terrible, deep and secret fears that come with motherhood”
- Journey Into Cinema: “Deaf completely outshines the sentimental CODA by keeping the focus where it belongs: on Ángela”
📽️ SUNDANCE 2025 – DEAF DOCUMENTARIES
January 23 – February 2, 2025
Two groundbreaking deaf-directed documentaries premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival:
1. “Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore”
- Directed by Shoshannah Stern (herself a deaf actress from This Close)
- Chronicles Marlee Matlin’s journey from the first deaf Oscar winner (1987) to today’s advocacy work
- Explores her 40-year career breaking barriers in Hollywood
2. “Deaf President Now!”
- Directed by Nyle DiMarco (America’s Next Top Model winner, Dancing with the Stars champion)
- Documents the historic 1988 Gallaudet University protest
- Features Troy Kotsur, who was a student protester at Gallaudet during the actual movement
- Coming to Apple TV+ in 2026
💡 WHY 2025 IS DIFFERENT
Authentic Casting = Authentic Stories
- All three major 2025 projects feature actual deaf actors in deaf roles
- Directors actively consulted deaf communities
- ASL used naturally, not as exposition
Beyond “The Deaf Character”
- Kotsur plays a mobster who happens to be deaf
- Garlo’s character wrestles with universal maternal fears amplified by societal barriers
- These aren’t “inspiration porn” – they’re complex human dramas
Global Recognition
- Spanish film winning at Berlinale proves deaf stories transcend language
- Hollywood A-listers (Law, Bateman) sharing screen space with deaf actors as equals
- Major streaming platforms investing in deaf-led productions
🔗 WHERE TO WATCH (December 2025)
STREAMING NOW:
- Black Rabbit (2025): Netflix – https://www.netflix.com/title/81630027
- CODA (2022): Apple TV+ – https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/coda/umc.cmc.3eh9r5iz32ggdm4ccvw5igiir
- Echo (2024)
THEATRICAL/INTERNATIONAL:
- Deaf (Sorda): Playing in select international markets; check local listings
- “Deaf President Now!” documentary – Apple TV+ (2026)
📊 BY THE NUMBERS – 2025 IMPACT
- 1st deaf mobster in mainstream television (Kotsur)
- Berlinale Audience Award winner (Garlo)
- Spain’s Oscar submission for Best International Film (Deaf)
- 2 Sundance documentaries directed by deaf filmmakers
- Netflix, Apple TV+, Disney+ all investing in deaf-led content
💬 THE CONVERSATION
What deaf actors are saying about 2025:
Troy Kotsur on playing against type: “We can play ALL different types of characters.”
Eva Libertad (director, Deaf): “We have been preparing our whole lives to make this film.”
Miriam Garlo on representation: “It’s about exploring the complexity of the bond between the deaf and hearing worlds.”
🎯 WHAT’S NEXT?
Coming 2026:
- “Flash Before the Bang” – Russell Harvard & Daniel Durant star in the true story of an all-deaf high school track team (1980s Oregon)
- Produced by Matt Damon, Ben Affleck & Jessica Alba
- More than half the cast will be deaf actors
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