Apple TV+ film “CODA” has bagged another award with actor Troy Kotsur winning the best supporting male award at this year’s Film Independent Spirit Awards making history as the first deaf actor to win a Spirit Award.
Troy Kotsur wins at Film Independent Spirit Awards for his work in the Apple TV+ film ‘CODA’
Following his win at the 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, the Gotham Awards, and his Oscar nomination, Troy Kotsur won the best supporting male award for his role in CODA at the 2022 Film Independent Spirit Awards on Sunday.
As reported by Deadline, Troy Kotsur told the press that he feels his win will encourage more independent producers to cast deaf people in film roles. “What was most challenging for me was, producers of independent films often have fear wondering if there is marketability in having authenticity in casting deaf actors,” he said. “To have that confidence, sometimes I feel like a little bug on the ground. Now I’m a big bug.”
“Now they can finally see me and so I can say, ‘Hello, we’ve grown and deaf folks can make change for the better,'” Kotsur continued. “Hollywood can have open hearts and open minds and give more inclusion to more diverse groups.”
CODA, short for Child of Deaf Adults, follows the story of Ruby, a 17-year old who is the sole hearing member of a deaf family. Her life revolves around serving as an interpreter for her parents and working on her family’s struggling fishing business every morning before attending school. When Ruby joins her high school’s choir club and discovers an affinity for singing, she finds herself torn between pursuing her dreams and applying to a prestigious music school or staying behind for her family.
The Film Independent Spirit Awards do not consider movies from major studios but while Apple TV+ bought “CODA” for $25 million after it was previewed at the Sundance Film Festival, it was originally made by Vendome Pictures and Pathe Films and therefore, it qualified as an independent film.
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