Top 10 Best Portrayals of Being Deaf or Hard of Hearing
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Date: 2023-11-20
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Comments and reviews: 30
Mason
How is General Amaya representation done right? She hits just about every misconception about Deaf people that they could've shown and at the point I'm typing this the show still isn't done. She is completely silent. Now people can say that she has trained herself for years, but her being silent even when she's around her family is completely unrealistic. Deaf people are some of the loudest people I've met(aside from Italians. Gren(Amaya's best friend, lieutenant, and interpreter) has voiced for Amaya the entire series so far, which is good but that's only half the job. So far out of the three seasons that he has existed he has yet to interpret a single thing to Amaya, because(and this brings me to my next unrealistic misconception) she can read lips. This isn't entirely unrealistic. Many HoH people and people who were born hearing and slowly became Deaf rely partially on lip reading, but statistics show that even the best lip reader in the world being in the most perfect conditions will only be able to get 30 percent information out of any conversation. That's 70 percent of information that people would be missing out of a conversation. But not Amaya. She can read lips and get every word. This supernatural ability of her's knows no bounds. She can do it no matter the lighting, the distance, the ammount of facial hair, and she can do it even if THEIR NOT FACING HER(that's a pretty big one! I like Amaya and I love the idea of her, but the creators so far have not been cautious of how they represent her, and this can have serious repercussions. I've met many hearing parents of Deaf kids who refuse to learn sign because They know I love them. They can understand me just fine. Her character isn't a total failure. She can still be the amazing representation if they make some simple changes. I hope they will in the future.
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How is General Amaya representation done right? She hits just about every misconception about Deaf people that they could've shown and at the point I'm typing this the show still isn't done. She is completely silent. Now people can say that she has trained herself for years, but her being silent even when she's around her family is completely unrealistic. Deaf people are some of the loudest people I've met(aside from Italians. Gren(Amaya's best friend, lieutenant, and interpreter) has voiced for Amaya the entire series so far, which is good but that's only half the job. So far out of the three seasons that he has existed he has yet to interpret a single thing to Amaya, because(and this brings me to my next unrealistic misconception) she can read lips. This isn't entirely unrealistic. Many HoH people and people who were born hearing and slowly became Deaf rely partially on lip reading, but statistics show that even the best lip reader in the world being in the most perfect conditions will only be able to get 30 percent information out of any conversation. That's 70 percent of information that people would be missing out of a conversation. But not Amaya. She can read lips and get every word. This supernatural ability of her's knows no bounds. She can do it no matter the lighting, the distance, the ammount of facial hair, and she can do it even if THEIR NOT FACING HER(that's a pretty big one! I like Amaya and I love the idea of her, but the creators so far have not been cautious of how they represent her, and this can have serious repercussions. I've met many hearing parents of Deaf kids who refuse to learn sign because They know I love them. They can understand me just fine. Her character isn't a total failure. She can still be the amazing representation if they make some simple changes. I hope they will in the future.
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vigal79
This was a great list. Ive seen a number of the shows and movies but not all.
Something Id like to share, is that in the United States American sign language has been recognized as its own language as far back as the 60s. A gentleman named William stoke did incredible research and it went to Gallaudet University.
But, from my understanding British sign language was not recognized as its on language until the early 2000s thats a huge difference.
While Im sure that deaf and hard of hearing folks will say it there needs to be much improvement in the area of interpreters and release systems and video communications, I think that they have made great strides in that community in recent years.
I remember hearing back in the day even in this country the United States, that people would just freak out if they saw deaf people signing in public. Nowadays, its no big deal. Ive even been using sign language on the bus with a deaf person that I know. And people dont think anything of it.
There again, I myself am blind and nobody thinks anything of me getting on public transportation.
By the way, in case anybody was curious I was using tactile sign language with the deaf person that I was referring to on the bus earlier.
To all the deaf and hard of hearing folks hopefully it was not mistaken in any of my comments. I love your language and your culture very much.
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This was a great list. Ive seen a number of the shows and movies but not all.
Something Id like to share, is that in the United States American sign language has been recognized as its own language as far back as the 60s. A gentleman named William stoke did incredible research and it went to Gallaudet University.
But, from my understanding British sign language was not recognized as its on language until the early 2000s thats a huge difference.
While Im sure that deaf and hard of hearing folks will say it there needs to be much improvement in the area of interpreters and release systems and video communications, I think that they have made great strides in that community in recent years.
I remember hearing back in the day even in this country the United States, that people would just freak out if they saw deaf people signing in public. Nowadays, its no big deal. Ive even been using sign language on the bus with a deaf person that I know. And people dont think anything of it.
There again, I myself am blind and nobody thinks anything of me getting on public transportation.
By the way, in case anybody was curious I was using tactile sign language with the deaf person that I was referring to on the bus earlier.
To all the deaf and hard of hearing folks hopefully it was not mistaken in any of my comments. I love your language and your culture very much.
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Krystall
I'm so happy that deaf people get representation. Being disabled myself, being autistic, I feel a sense of pride and joy seeing that my disabled brothers and sisters out there actually have movies portraying their disability by actually deaf actors. I wish it was the same for us autistics, though. We have very few movies about us, and the few that exists do not have actually autistic actors portraying the autistic person. Hell, most of the movies don't even have anyone with autism working on the movie behind the scenes. This means we autistics are portrayed incorrectly, being shown to only show very old-fashioned stereotypes as our personality traits; rude, unfeeling, detached, only being good at math, and having no interest in other people.
I hope that one day, just like my deaf brothers and sisters, we autistics can be portrayed by actually autistic actors, so that we can be portrayed with more nuance. Because we autistics are so unique and no two autistics are the same. But the world is apparently not ready to know that just yet, which is sad.
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I'm so happy that deaf people get representation. Being disabled myself, being autistic, I feel a sense of pride and joy seeing that my disabled brothers and sisters out there actually have movies portraying their disability by actually deaf actors. I wish it was the same for us autistics, though. We have very few movies about us, and the few that exists do not have actually autistic actors portraying the autistic person. Hell, most of the movies don't even have anyone with autism working on the movie behind the scenes. This means we autistics are portrayed incorrectly, being shown to only show very old-fashioned stereotypes as our personality traits; rude, unfeeling, detached, only being good at math, and having no interest in other people.
I hope that one day, just like my deaf brothers and sisters, we autistics can be portrayed by actually autistic actors, so that we can be portrayed with more nuance. Because we autistics are so unique and no two autistics are the same. But the world is apparently not ready to know that just yet, which is sad.
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Eric
Imagine if they are making a movie about Martin Luther King. Imagine that Tom Hanks has been chosen to play the role of Dr. King in blackface.
Even if hanks brings the same level of respect and accuracy he has given to other real life people he has played (and who doubts that he would do this) it would still draw quite a bit of justified outrage. And it's not just from the history of the Minstrels. It is just rightly considered inappropriate for an actor to play a character outside the actors race.
Given that fact, I'm baffled that it seems just fine for an able bodied actor to play a disabled character.
I get this is not always possible. Lt. Dan in Forest Gump would need to be played by an able bodied actor because in part of that movie Lt. Dan still had legs.
But in many films the disabled character is not seen before they become disabled, and so no able bodied acter need be seen.
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Imagine if they are making a movie about Martin Luther King. Imagine that Tom Hanks has been chosen to play the role of Dr. King in blackface.
Even if hanks brings the same level of respect and accuracy he has given to other real life people he has played (and who doubts that he would do this) it would still draw quite a bit of justified outrage. And it's not just from the history of the Minstrels. It is just rightly considered inappropriate for an actor to play a character outside the actors race.
Given that fact, I'm baffled that it seems just fine for an able bodied actor to play a disabled character.
I get this is not always possible. Lt. Dan in Forest Gump would need to be played by an able bodied actor because in part of that movie Lt. Dan still had legs.
But in many films the disabled character is not seen before they become disabled, and so no able bodied acter need be seen.
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Schmendrick
While I understand why some people will see the representation by Patty Duke and Katie Leclerc as good these choices are pretty bold (and probably not the best) ones. Both actresses adopted a deaf accent which can really step on toes and be offensive to the deaf community. This is because there is a certain way deaf people talk according to media and when hearing actors portray deaf and hoh people they use this (im not sure if its an attempt to make it more believable or lack of research) and it comes off in a really bad way
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While I understand why some people will see the representation by Patty Duke and Katie Leclerc as good these choices are pretty bold (and probably not the best) ones. Both actresses adopted a deaf accent which can really step on toes and be offensive to the deaf community. This is because there is a certain way deaf people talk according to media and when hearing actors portray deaf and hoh people they use this (im not sure if its an attempt to make it more believable or lack of research) and it comes off in a really bad way
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msmojo
Although none of the characters are deaf, the Seawings in the Wings of Fire books use a non verbal form of communication when they are underwater. They communicate using bioluminescent patches on their scales and I thought that was cool when I first read that. I also want to mention the Tuskens in The Mandalorian and Boba fett using sign language because one of the actors portraying the first tuskens is deaf.
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Although none of the characters are deaf, the Seawings in the Wings of Fire books use a non verbal form of communication when they are underwater. They communicate using bioluminescent patches on their scales and I thought that was cool when I first read that. I also want to mention the Tuskens in The Mandalorian and Boba fett using sign language because one of the actors portraying the first tuskens is deaf.
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crazieanimefan1
The English dub of A Silent Voice actually hired a deaf actress in Shoko's role. She was from Glee as part of the Deaf Choir. Recently, they did an anime called Ranking of Kings, where the main character, Boji, is deaf. I'm 80% deaf in one ear due to a horrible medicine reaction, so I am happy that even anime is picking up the pace for disabilities.
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The English dub of A Silent Voice actually hired a deaf actress in Shoko's role. She was from Glee as part of the Deaf Choir. Recently, they did an anime called Ranking of Kings, where the main character, Boji, is deaf. I'm 80% deaf in one ear due to a horrible medicine reaction, so I am happy that even anime is picking up the pace for disabilities.
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RoseBookFan#7
Hold it hold it hold it!
Why they didnt include Alaqua Coxs Maya Lopez/Echo in Hawkeye!
The actress who played Makkari maybe the first marvel deaf character but she isnt the only one & though Coxs time on the show was limited, she still brought a powerful force to her character especially with her solo show coming soon for more to come.
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Hold it hold it hold it!
Why they didnt include Alaqua Coxs Maya Lopez/Echo in Hawkeye!
The actress who played Makkari maybe the first marvel deaf character but she isnt the only one & though Coxs time on the show was limited, she still brought a powerful force to her character especially with her solo show coming soon for more to come.
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Nicole
Good list. I would've ranked them differently. Special note: Troy Kotsur is also in The Mandalorian as a Tusken Raider. He is the one who has been creating the Tusken Raider language. That is talent to create a language & get a message across from behind the costumes. That reason alone (plus CODA) I would've ranked him higher.
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Good list. I would've ranked them differently. Special note: Troy Kotsur is also in The Mandalorian as a Tusken Raider. He is the one who has been creating the Tusken Raider language. That is talent to create a language & get a message across from behind the costumes. That reason alone (plus CODA) I would've ranked him higher.
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Melissa
You forgot to add Holly Hunter's performance in The Piano! Her character of Ada McGrath was psychology mute and used sign language to communicate while her daughter Flora (Anna Paquin) interpreted for her. Bonus points for that both Holly and Anna swept the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories at the Oscars!
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You forgot to add Holly Hunter's performance in The Piano! Her character of Ada McGrath was psychology mute and used sign language to communicate while her daughter Flora (Anna Paquin) interpreted for her. Bonus points for that both Holly and Anna swept the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories at the Oscars!
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Eric
9: 00 I saw Matlin in a movie where the bad guy was looking for her. She had a cell phone she used to text message and while she is hiding from the bad guy her phone starts to ring. Probably someone trying to reach her about her car's extended warranty.
The bad guy can hear it but she can't. It is a terrifying scene.
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9: 00 I saw Matlin in a movie where the bad guy was looking for her. She had a cell phone she used to text message and while she is hiding from the bad guy her phone starts to ring. Probably someone trying to reach her about her car's extended warranty.
The bad guy can hear it but she can't. It is a terrifying scene.
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Gabriela
I'm disappointed this list didn't mention Linda Bove from Sesame Street, because that was the first time I remembered seeing a deaf character on a TV show. And also, as much credit as Rose should get for her appearance on SCD, why isn't Nyle DiMarco also getting love for his appearance on DWTS?
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I'm disappointed this list didn't mention Linda Bove from Sesame Street, because that was the first time I remembered seeing a deaf character on a TV show. And also, as much credit as Rose should get for her appearance on SCD, why isn't Nyle DiMarco also getting love for his appearance on DWTS?
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William
I can't believe they didn't include Laconia the wood elf from The Smurfs. She is mute and communicates through sign language. She is confirmed to be deaf at her wedding in the special, Smurfily Ever After, where she is completely unaffected by Gargamel's hypnotic music.
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I can't believe they didn't include Laconia the wood elf from The Smurfs. She is mute and communicates through sign language. She is confirmed to be deaf at her wedding in the special, Smurfily Ever After, where she is completely unaffected by Gargamel's hypnotic music.
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Souza
My cousin is deaf and the reason I love deaf community so much. I feel like them deserve way more representation than LGBT and Plus Size (which is also part of me, since unlike them and people of color, I hardly see deaf people getting the love they deserve
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My cousin is deaf and the reason I love deaf community so much. I feel like them deserve way more representation than LGBT and Plus Size (which is also part of me, since unlike them and people of color, I hardly see deaf people getting the love they deserve
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Andrea
There was nothing as eye opening as a child as that Little Mermaid episode, as I had never known about deafness prior and it's stuck in my head permanently, including the episode song which my brain automatically started playing when I saw it.
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There was nothing as eye opening as a child as that Little Mermaid episode, as I had never known about deafness prior and it's stuck in my head permanently, including the episode song which my brain automatically started playing when I saw it.
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Artism
I wouldve put down Signing Time, A show I used to watch on PBS Kids where hence the name teaches kids ASL. Theres also a frog named Hopkins, which is named after Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, the founder of the first American school of the Deaf.
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I wouldve put down Signing Time, A show I used to watch on PBS Kids where hence the name teaches kids ASL. Theres also a frog named Hopkins, which is named after Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, the founder of the first American school of the Deaf.
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Huntington
Siblings of near deaf older babysitting by herself. Try that. We don't gear like everyone else. Im stimm learning to hear 'LOSSES' as law says
I don't like the overseer of the graze anatomy.
How ate the tools affecting?
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Siblings of near deaf older babysitting by herself. Try that. We don't gear like everyone else. Im stimm learning to hear 'LOSSES' as law says
I don't like the overseer of the graze anatomy.
How ate the tools affecting?
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MsBrendalina
I wish you had given credit to the English language actress from A Silent Voice. Unlike her Japanese counterpart, she was actually deaf. So its extra impressive that she managed to do well in a voice over role
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I wish you had given credit to the English language actress from A Silent Voice. Unlike her Japanese counterpart, she was actually deaf. So its extra impressive that she managed to do well in a voice over role
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swopesparklerz
Love is Never Silent didn't make the list? I loved that movie! It made more of an impact on me & learning ASL than even Children of a Lesser God. But my first exposure to ASL was Linda Bove on Sesame Street.
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Love is Never Silent didn't make the list? I loved that movie! It made more of an impact on me & learning ASL than even Children of a Lesser God. But my first exposure to ASL was Linda Bove on Sesame Street.
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Micycle
I absolutely agree with the inclusion of Marlee Matlin on this list, but I personally think her best role was as Harriet on The Magicians. The scenes shot from her perspective, while few, were incredibly directed.
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I absolutely agree with the inclusion of Marlee Matlin on this list, but I personally think her best role was as Harriet on The Magicians. The scenes shot from her perspective, while few, were incredibly directed.
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Kristin
Im disappointed that there was no mention of Russel Harvard, a Deaf man, and this list includes individuals who arent Deaf or hard of hearing. His portrayal as a hit man in Fargo was amazing.
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Im disappointed that there was no mention of Russel Harvard, a Deaf man, and this list includes individuals who arent Deaf or hard of hearing. His portrayal as a hit man in Fargo was amazing.
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Marymarie80
What about Hawkeye? there is a marvel character from the comic named Echo who is a Deaf. Much more interesting and who very talented and smart enough to fight toe to toe with hawkeye!
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What about Hawkeye? there is a marvel character from the comic named Echo who is a Deaf. Much more interesting and who very talented and smart enough to fight toe to toe with hawkeye!
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Rose
Ummm not sure about this title. The title implies that deafness is a costume to take on & off. Perhaps the 10 Best Deaf/HoH actors working? Or Best Representation of Deaf/HoH characters.
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Ummm not sure about this title. The title implies that deafness is a costume to take on & off. Perhaps the 10 Best Deaf/HoH actors working? Or Best Representation of Deaf/HoH characters.
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memester
While Louise Fletcher (Oscar winner for portraying one of the greatest film villains) isn't deaf, she was raised by deaf parents. She thanked them using ASL in her Oscar's speech
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While Louise Fletcher (Oscar winner for portraying one of the greatest film villains) isn't deaf, she was raised by deaf parents. She thanked them using ASL in her Oscar's speech
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Kimberly
I'm shocked that Jane Wyman isn't on here for her performance in Johnny Belinda. She won an oscar for it. Not even an honorable mention. She was magnificent in it. Great movie.
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I'm shocked that Jane Wyman isn't on here for her performance in Johnny Belinda. She won an oscar for it. Not even an honorable mention. She was magnificent in it. Great movie.
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Sieren
I need to watch coda still
; ( U missed the other 2 hellen keller movies in honorable mentions.
I really liked the deaf mermaid in The Little Mermaid when I was younger
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I need to watch coda still
; ( U missed the other 2 hellen keller movies in honorable mentions.
I really liked the deaf mermaid in The Little Mermaid when I was younger
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smileychanvideo
Snake eyes, from g. i. joe renegades, he had his best portrayals of deaf and over hearing. His has the best socializing events about deaf and silenced languages.
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Snake eyes, from g. i. joe renegades, he had his best portrayals of deaf and over hearing. His has the best socializing events about deaf and silenced languages.
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John-Paul
Take a shot each time the autocaptions say, 'death', not 'deaf' as a deaf person myself I find this funny how live captions/subtitles sometimes confuse the two
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Take a shot each time the autocaptions say, 'death', not 'deaf' as a deaf person myself I find this funny how live captions/subtitles sometimes confuse the two
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Jane
I think Lauren Ridloff in Thew Walking Dead is amazing and deserved at least honorable mention. Deafness in the zombie apocalypse is a superpower. Good list though.
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I think Lauren Ridloff in Thew Walking Dead is amazing and deserved at least honorable mention. Deafness in the zombie apocalypse is a superpower. Good list though.
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Tiamat
First Deaf superhero? As far as i know, Hawkeye self identifies as Deaf (canonically HoH, so i think he is the first. could be wrong but i'm sure he was first)
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First Deaf superhero? As far as i know, Hawkeye self identifies as Deaf (canonically HoH, so i think he is the first. could be wrong but i'm sure he was first)
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