Film CODA Wins Top-Cast Award at SAG 2022
The film CODA has made history by winning the Best Cast award in the 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards
Screen Actors Guild Awards also known as SAG Awards are given by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). On Sunday 27th February 2022 the 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were held. The film ‘CODA’ is an Apple TV+ film about a highschool student who aspires to be a singer and is the only hearing member of her deaf family. It stars Emilia Jones, Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur, Daniel Durant and Eugenio Derbez. It predominantly had a deaf cast. The film has been directed by Sian Heder, The film won the award for outstanding performance by a cast in a motion picture. CODA has made history by winning the Best Cast award
Accepting the award for CODA, actress Marlee Matlin, one of the deaf actors, signed her acceptance speech, which was spoken by her interpreter. Matlin said, “We, deaf actors, have come a long way. This validates (proves) the fact that we, deaf actors, can work like anybody else.” She added, “Thank you for including deaf culture, we love you. The interpreters, thank you all the CODA interpreters and all CODAs everywhere, all over the world. All four of my kids are CODAs." She ended her speech by teaching the crowd of actors the sign for “I love you.” She also said that “we have been waiting for 35 years for this. The people who voted for us, they were our peers (friends) and equals. We all are actors. This will give opportunities to other actors who are, whatever they may be, as long as they’re talented. Thank you everyone for your support. I love my family here.”
Fellow actor Daniel Durant thanked Matlin and Heder “for fighting for getting authentic deaf actors to play real deaf characters and give them our real experiences. I hope this changes opportunities for deaf people, so they have more opportunities and things are better,”
CODA actor Troy Kotsur won the best supporting actor award. He made history by becoming the first deaf actor to win an individual SAG Award.
CODA has also been nominated in 3 categories at the Oscar 2022 - 1) best picture, 2) best adapted screenplay and 3) best supporting actor for Kotsur.
