According to Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider blog, deaf actress and Oscar winner Marlee Matlin may be appearing on the next edition of ABC's Dancing With the Stars. As EW mentions, having Matlin guest star on the dancing competition would not be surprising since the series has been trying to "defy casting expectations and prejudices." DWTS fans will recall that Heather Mills, who wears a prosthetic leg, appeared in the fourth season of the show.
Since the network is not ready to confirm the cast of the upcoming season of the show, it is impossible to know for sure if Matlin will indeed be on the show. The magazine contacted Marlee Matlin's publicist but the latter referred them to ABC.
ABC should reveal who will be donning dance shoes for the sixth installment of the series sometime this month since the show is set to premiere on March 17. I personally hope that the actress is part of the cast as she is a lovable and true person. I would definitely root for her.
In the meantime, you can catch Marlee Matlin as Jodi Lerner on The L Word every Sunday on Showtime.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
2-04-2008 @ 2:43PM
plinstrot said...
I love Marlee! Hope this happens.
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2-04-2008 @ 2:43PM
horsenbuggy said...
I don't want to be insensitive, but how would this work? I understand that deaf people often feel vibrations in music, but is that enough to keep them on beat while dancing? Is this a casting stunt? Would she simply rely on her partner to lead her? I don't think this is the same as casting someone with a prosthetic leg. But I am more than willing to be proven wrong. If she is cast, it would be the first season I watch.
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2-04-2008 @ 4:08PM
David said...
It's definitely not a stunt. The EPs, the participants, and ABC especially all take this show seriously. But I echo your original question - can Marlee Matlin, who is deaf, "hear" or "feel" the music? If she participates, it will definitely be an educational experience for the viewers!
2-04-2008 @ 4:51PM
Isabelle Carreau said...
horsenbuggy: In my province, we have a sort of Dancing with the Stars where they had one "star" dance with a few dancers and her deaf daughter. To teach the deaf daughter the dance, they demonstrated it a few times to her. They also modified the floor so that it would vibrate more to the sound of rather loud speakers they put directly on the floor. So the deaf teen could feel the vibrations of the music and dance accordingly. She didn't do too bad at all.
2-04-2008 @ 5:09PM
sitruc said...
Sadly, while the contestants and the people on the show will take it seriously, I'm sure ABC would do the most they can to exploit it, David. I'd hope Disney would use restraint and discretion with her inclusion, but I'm sure it will be used as a joke more often than naught. While more than a slightly different disability and personality, Heather Mills was a joke when she was on the show. Everybody was waiting for her leg to come off. After typing all of this, I feel like I've been able to stomach an entire episode of this show.
2-05-2008 @ 12:13PM
Audra said...
It is amazing, but yes deaf people can learn and dance rhythmically to music routines. We had a deaf girl in our college dance team, you would never have known it! She danced along with everyone else and never skipped a beat!!
2-05-2008 @ 12:48PM
treesrgrn said...
I am hearing impaired, and I am the best dancer in the family. yes, we feel the vibrations, but we also depend on the rythyms to step to, but it is no different than a hearing person. I have taken 3 dance classes and have caught on faster than those with regular hearing. I also know lots of people who are deaf/HOH, and still play the piano better than a normal hearing person. So, this is something I look forward to watching this season.
2-05-2008 @ 1:40PM
RogueAngel said...
Hey there here is some information on how Deaf people can not only keep up with the beat of music but actually do hear the music. Deaf people do not only feel vibrations like we do but as those same vibrations travel up to the brain, they actually turn back into sound for them. So most likely she can feel and hear the music just as well as anyone else on the show. Like you said,if she was on the show it would be the first season I would watch.
2-04-2008 @ 3:56PM
Austin M said...
I still find her so incredibly attractive.
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2-04-2008 @ 4:15PM
Blu-Sam said...
You should seen her in "What the #$*! Do We (K)now!?". If you want to see her legs look like. :)
2-04-2008 @ 5:18PM
Secret Asian Man said...
First, I think she's very beautiful and would love to see her on the show.
Second, as a hard of hearing person, I've always respected and admire her for breaking the public's perception of no only deaf people but people of any disabilities. I';m confidant she'll do it again with DWTS.
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2-05-2008 @ 10:00AM
Nora said...
can she dance better than Tucker. He hears quite well.
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2-05-2008 @ 10:02AM
Nora said...
can she dance better than Tucker who hears quite well?
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2-05-2008 @ 10:10AM
Mary said...
Im excited about the possibility of Marlee Matlin being on dancing with the stars. She is such an awesome role model for the deaf community. Folks have no idea of the capability of deaf people. They can do anything they set their minds on. My daughter, who is deaf, played the clarinet in band, until she got into sports! We will definitely be supporting Ms. Matlin.
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2-05-2008 @ 10:18AM
Just My Musings said...
I am not trying to be insensitive to Matlin, she probably can dance better than Master P or some others who have been on, but it seems to me that DWTS has been trying for some gimmick on their shows and I don't understand why. It is a good show and they don't need it. Let's hope that this year they don't stack the deck with people like Fatone and Mel Brown who are used to performing on stage. I hope they have a true competition this time around.
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2-05-2008 @ 10:20AM
carmen said...
i think its great, i have a deaf sister and brother in law and they danced at there wedding with the vibrations of the music and they did great.
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2-05-2008 @ 10:22AM
pianoman said...
I think Marlee will do just fine. Perhaps you've heard of the performer Evelyn Glennie who is hearing impaired (aka deaf). She is a percussionist specializing on the marimba and other tuned percussion instruments and she has been a guest artist with many symphony orchestras around the world including the Chicago Symphony. She performs in her bare feet to be able to feel the ryhthm through the floor. She has many recordings and is quite accomplished.
Marlee is also smart enough to make sure she is not "used". I worked with her in Chicago in the theatre and she is one smart cookie.
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2-18-2008 @ 9:14AM
roger smith said...
AMEN and spot on
2-05-2008 @ 10:44AM
fishgirl80 said...
as a Deaf person, I've participated in pageants, dance competitions, I've been dancing since I was 5. Jazz and Hip-Hop. What I did was have the teacher ampilify the music so I could feel it and then counted the beats in my head. 5, 6, 7, 8, 1, 2, 3, and so on....... after 2 practices with the teacher, I got the routine without a problem.
Its not hard for a Deaf person to do a dance. You just have to have the determination and sensitivity to the music. Thats all
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2-05-2008 @ 10:45AM
Rita Kanter said...
I would love to see Marlee in the show , she is so sweet . I have watched her careet a long time...My late husband was in her parents wedding party, many moons ago... I really hope that she gets to do the show . I watch it all the time this would just give me another great reason.... Good luck, Marlee!
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