American actress Marlee Matlin won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture â Drama as well as the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, for her screen debut in the 1986 romantic drama film Children of a Lesser God. At age 21, she is the youngest Best Actress winner and was the first deaf performer to win an Academy Award. Since then, Matlin, who is deaf, has received a number of awards and nominations for her acting work, including two additional Golden Globe nominations and four Emmy Award nominations for her television appearances. In 2009, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Matlin has also received honors for her public service on behalf of the deaf, including a national Jefferson Award in 1988. Gallaudet University, a private university that focuses on educating deaf and hard of hearing persons, awarded her an honorary doctorate in 1987.