'CODA' actor Troy Kotsur created Tusken Sign Language in 'The Mandalorian' series
Actor Troy Kotsur, who made groundbreaking history at the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 27, is officially the first male deaf actor to win an Oscar for 'CODA'. Kotsur won the Best Supporting Actor award for his powerful role.
While congratulatory messages are pouring in, an interview of the actor in January 2020 has resurfaced where it was revealed that Kotsur has a rather intriguing connection to the Star Wars universe. Prior to 'CODA', the actor played Tusken Raider Scout #1 in 'The Mandalorian' Season 1 Episode 5. In the interview with The Daily Moth, Kotsur revealed that he had actually created a whole new sign language for his character on the show. In the series, his character communicated with Pedro Pascal's title character solely through sign language.
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The particular 'Mandalorian' episode, follows the title character (played by Pedro Pascal) making his way to Tatooine in search of a bounty. On his arrival, he encounters a few Tusken Raiders, with a member of the crew who was fluent in American Sign Language (ASL). The Raider further suggested some form of sign language for the Tusken Raiders to communicate with one another. This in turn led to Kotsur being hired, not only to portray the part as a Tusken Raider Scout, but also to develop the Tusken Sign Language himself.
Kotsur said, "I did research on the culture and environment of Tusken Raiders. I researched on the desert called "sand people". That is what Luke Skywalker calls them: "sand people". His goal was to 'avoid' using ASL, and added, "I made sure it became Tusken Sign Language based on their culture and environment".
Kotsur later shared the sign for 'The Mandalorian' in the interview. The sign is based on the 'M' sign (which stands for the above-mentioned), featuring a cross over the face, resembling The Mandalorian's mask. The 54-year-old has been a 'Star Wars' fan since he was eight and revealed that it was a 'blessing' to play a part in the series. He said, "When I was eight years old, I dreamed to be part of Star Wars. Many, many years later, almost 40 years later- it is fate".
Meanwhile, Kotsur is the second deaf actor to win an Oscar. His 'CODA' co-star Marlee Matlin had won the Best Actress in 1987 for 'For Children of a Lesser God'.
'CODA' stands for Children of Deaf Adults. Besides Kotsur, the film won the Best Picture award at the Oscars 2022. The film follows a young woman (Emilia Jones), the only hearing member of the family who pushes to pursue her dreams of becoming a singer, although her family needs her to take over their fishing business. 'CODA' was released on August 13, 2021.