Matlin, who is deaf, generally plays deaf characters. However, in 1994 Matlin played a hearing woman in the title role of the television movieAgainst Her Will: The Carrie Buck Story, based on the true story of Carrie Buck, who was not deaf.[4] Matlin was nominated for a CableACE Award for her performance.[5]
Although Matlin has continued to make occasional film appearances, most of her work has been in television. From 1991 to 1993, she starred in the police drama series Reasonable Doubts as Assistant District Attorney Tess Kaufman, receiving two Golden Globe nominations.[6][7] She has had recurring roles as Mayor Laurie Bey in Picket Fences (for which she received an Emmy Award nomination), pollster Joey Lucas in The West Wing (appearing on all seven seasons of its run), attorney Ruby Whitlow in My Name Is Earl, gay sculptor Jodi Lerner in The L Word, and guidance counselor Melody Bledsoe in Switched at Birth. Her numerous guest appearances have included Seinfeld, The Practice, and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, each of which brought her another Emmy nomination.[8]
Matlin has also competed on the game showsDancing with the Stars and The Celebrity Apprentice. On the April 3, 2011 episode of The Celebrity Apprentice, Matlin raised $986,000 for her charity, the Starkey Hearing Foundation, setting a record for the most funds raised for charity in a single event on any television show. The show's production company then donated an additional $14,000 to bring the contribution to one million dollars.[9][10]
